Thinking back to my past used to be painful and embarrassing for me. I was a very different person before I met Christ and as I look back, I'm amazed at how much God has changed me. I'm amazed only because it's something I never could have accomplished on my own, no matter how hard I tried.
Thinking back to my past now isn't as painful for me (although I still shudder at the thought at times) because I can now see a certain joy and blessing through my past and my present - a joy that is only visible because of the works of my creator and saviour.
I really enjoy 2 Corinthians 5:17:
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is made a new creation: The old is gone, the new has come!"
God promises us that after we accept Christ into our life and earn salvation, it is not the end of the road. Instead, he begins to lead us through the process of sanctification - to become more like him every day we live on this earth. I was reading an article and it said that hagiasmos means sanctification in Greek, and it is the same as hagios, which is the Greek word for holy. Therefore, to be sanctified means to be made more holy!
Brothers and sisters, we are all going through this process of sanctification. God is working in all of our hearts so that we may become more like Him! As we continue to pursue Christ, we become more and more like Christ, but this doesn't come without a few aches and pains.
Last night, I was reading "Mere Christianity" by C.S. Lewis, and I came across this wonderful parable (that he got from George MacDonald) of how it is when God is working in him to become more like Christ.
"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on: you knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently he starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of - throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it Himself."
When God works in us, it is not always easy and very often it is painful, but He is building us to become something greater and much more beautiful - He is changing us into the masterpiece he intended for us to be. So I want to encourage you to hold on tightly to the Lord through the aches and the pains you feel as he is working on you. It isn't always easy and it may feel like you have been abandoned, or life is really difficult to handle, but trust in the Lord because he is always working on you. He never stops.
On that note, don't forget to trust in the Lord when you fall and stumble. Our God is a forgiving, merciful and loving God. When you make mistakes - which you most likely will - God is waiting there right beside you to help you back up. As I write this I think of King David, a man who was always after God's own heart, but who made mistakes on several different occasions. It is David's softened heart towards the Lord that really speaks to me. When he is rebuked by Nathan (2 Samuel 12:7) his immediate response is to repent for his sins and then he humbly accepts the discipline of the Lord (2 Samuel 12:20).
I desire for my heart to be as soft towards the Lord just like King David. I desire to have a heart that is soft enough for God to mould with ease so that daily, I become more and more like Him.
I trust that we are always changing for God is always working, and as a body, we really need to work together in encouraging one another. If people hadn't accepted that I was changing, it would have been much more difficult for me to change. I was a certain way for a very long time, and if people hadn't let go of that idea of me, I would have been so discouraged. In the same way, there are people in our lives that we have known for such a long time and because we believe we know them so well, we have a difficult time realizing they are changing and being made new. But we must open our eyes and see how God is working! And encourage our brothers and sisters by taking note of how God is changing them!
It isn't always easy, but I believe we can do this! We can support one another and encourage one another to become more like Christ! So let's continue to walk down this path together. Let's encourage each other to hold on tightly to our Saviour, let's help each other up when we stumble, and let's grow together as one body!
With love,
kjoosaurus.
Showing posts with label Encouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Encouragement. Show all posts
Monday, December 16, 2013
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
The Lord is my shepherd [05/22/13]
Hello to my wonderful friends :)
I've received many encouraging words about this blog, and I want to thank you for the kind words you've spoken! I've found that I'm rather unskilled at expressing my gratitude to people, but in reality, I am actually extremely grateful! I really do thank God for using you to encourage and challenge me. I'm better at expressing myself through writing so FEEL MY LOVE AND THANKS! :D
I love the way God works. He is so detail-oriented, meticulous, mysterious and exciting! The way he plans things in his perfect timing is amazing and mind-blowing every time he reveals part of his plan to me.
Yesterday, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed... The very wrong side. You know those mornings when you just feel groggy and disoriented? That was my Tuesday morning. When I wake up like that, I dread the day ahead because I'm grumpy and lazy and sensitive and just a bunch of not so very good things. So there went wrong side of the bed Kristen, walking very slowly to meet her friend at Starbucks and secretly, but not so secretly, wishing she could stay in bed forever.
As I waited, I said to God, "Please give me the energy to get through the day. Please give me the motivation to stay out and not cancel all of my plans and go home to my really warm and cozy bed."
You know what's cool? When you can SEE God answering your prayers! God is very true to his words.
1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Once I met up with my friend, we started talking about our faith. She's a brand new Christian friend I met in my Spanish class. She told me her testimony, about her life in Rwanda, about her many struggles with her family, about betrayals from the past and she just listed so many things she had gone through that I could never even imagine going through. Then, as she began to tell me about how Christ had saved her, I saw such pure and genuine love for God in her expressions and I could hear the thankfulness in her voice. I was so encouraged by her! Her ability to remain optimistic and hopeful in Christ when everybody else had hurt her and deserted her.
My day didn't end there either! Later on, I was walking along Mackenzie King bridge, and I made eye contact with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes I have seen. I've seen many beautiful blue eyes, but this pair was especially captivating. These eyes belonged to a homeless man sitting on the side, asking for spare change. Normally, I just say "sorry, I don't have any change" (which I don't) and then proceed with my day, but I just had to stop and talk to him. He told me about his day, about the "newbie" panhandlers, about how this was his spot and how he had to kick people out of his spot sometimes. It was a simple conversation, but he was just filled with so much joy and happiness! I had to run to catch my bus, but as I was leaving, he gave me an excellent handshake accompanied with an enormous smile and said, "My name is Frankie. It was really nice to meet you."
God really provides us with everything we need. Sometimes, I laugh at myself because I worry about the silliest things like having to deal with people in my disoriented state of mind. I laugh because I know I have an all-powerful God who is constantly providing for me and loving me, yet I still worry.
In John 14:27, Jesus says:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
What Jesus has to offer us is beyond anything the world tries to offer us. Thanks to Jesus, we can live every single day with joy and peace in our hearts. What the world hands us is temporary and short-lived, but what Christ has offered to us is beyond all else and I'm grateful for this truth in my life! I'm grateful for the way God leads me to people who will encourage me and brighten up my day - constantly showing me his goodness and captivating love.
This is not at all what I was planning on writing about, but that's okay because I was still able to share God's goodness in my life! :)
I want to end this post with Psalm 23.
This was my grandmother's favourite Psalm. It has always meant a lot to me, but as I saw her rejoice in the truth of these words in her passing days, it has found an extra special place in my heart. I'm working on memorizing it and I encourage you to join me! It will probably take me a while since my memory isn't my forte, so don't worry if your memory is bad too! :)
I've received many encouraging words about this blog, and I want to thank you for the kind words you've spoken! I've found that I'm rather unskilled at expressing my gratitude to people, but in reality, I am actually extremely grateful! I really do thank God for using you to encourage and challenge me. I'm better at expressing myself through writing so FEEL MY LOVE AND THANKS! :D
I love the way God works. He is so detail-oriented, meticulous, mysterious and exciting! The way he plans things in his perfect timing is amazing and mind-blowing every time he reveals part of his plan to me.
Yesterday, I woke up on the wrong side of the bed... The very wrong side. You know those mornings when you just feel groggy and disoriented? That was my Tuesday morning. When I wake up like that, I dread the day ahead because I'm grumpy and lazy and sensitive and just a bunch of not so very good things. So there went wrong side of the bed Kristen, walking very slowly to meet her friend at Starbucks and secretly, but not so secretly, wishing she could stay in bed forever.
As I waited, I said to God, "Please give me the energy to get through the day. Please give me the motivation to stay out and not cancel all of my plans and go home to my really warm and cozy bed."
You know what's cool? When you can SEE God answering your prayers! God is very true to his words.
1 John 5:14
And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.
Once I met up with my friend, we started talking about our faith. She's a brand new Christian friend I met in my Spanish class. She told me her testimony, about her life in Rwanda, about her many struggles with her family, about betrayals from the past and she just listed so many things she had gone through that I could never even imagine going through. Then, as she began to tell me about how Christ had saved her, I saw such pure and genuine love for God in her expressions and I could hear the thankfulness in her voice. I was so encouraged by her! Her ability to remain optimistic and hopeful in Christ when everybody else had hurt her and deserted her.
My day didn't end there either! Later on, I was walking along Mackenzie King bridge, and I made eye contact with the most beautiful pair of blue eyes I have seen. I've seen many beautiful blue eyes, but this pair was especially captivating. These eyes belonged to a homeless man sitting on the side, asking for spare change. Normally, I just say "sorry, I don't have any change" (which I don't) and then proceed with my day, but I just had to stop and talk to him. He told me about his day, about the "newbie" panhandlers, about how this was his spot and how he had to kick people out of his spot sometimes. It was a simple conversation, but he was just filled with so much joy and happiness! I had to run to catch my bus, but as I was leaving, he gave me an excellent handshake accompanied with an enormous smile and said, "My name is Frankie. It was really nice to meet you."
God really provides us with everything we need. Sometimes, I laugh at myself because I worry about the silliest things like having to deal with people in my disoriented state of mind. I laugh because I know I have an all-powerful God who is constantly providing for me and loving me, yet I still worry.
In John 14:27, Jesus says:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
What Jesus has to offer us is beyond anything the world tries to offer us. Thanks to Jesus, we can live every single day with joy and peace in our hearts. What the world hands us is temporary and short-lived, but what Christ has offered to us is beyond all else and I'm grateful for this truth in my life! I'm grateful for the way God leads me to people who will encourage me and brighten up my day - constantly showing me his goodness and captivating love.
This is not at all what I was planning on writing about, but that's okay because I was still able to share God's goodness in my life! :)
I want to end this post with Psalm 23.
This was my grandmother's favourite Psalm. It has always meant a lot to me, but as I saw her rejoice in the truth of these words in her passing days, it has found an extra special place in my heart. I'm working on memorizing it and I encourage you to join me! It will probably take me a while since my memory isn't my forte, so don't worry if your memory is bad too! :)
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green
pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me
all the days of my life
and I shall dwell in the house of the
Lord
forever."
Monday, May 20, 2013
We are family! [05/19/13]
Hi there!
God is great! Amen? AMEN.
In recent days, God's glory has been revealing itself more and more in my life. The more I search for him, desire him, and seek him, the more I find him in all of the different areas of my life. What I'm about to say is a little bit cheesy, but I don't care so I'm going to say it anyways. :)
Lately, God has been showing me to appreciate the tiniest of things. He's been opening my eyes to the beauty of his creations as I walk around the city I live in. He's been showing me the simple beauty of the flowers, the way the clouds drift across the blue sky, the way the rain feels as it hits my skin. The fact that I can MOVE. That I have two legs to walk on. Two hands. Yeah, it's kind of cheesy, but I'm so grateful to be able to appreciate every bit of what my heavenly father has created for me to enjoy. I take many things in life for granted and rarely spend time to just stop and thank God for the breath I am breathing.
Why am I sharing this simple detail of my life with you? I'm sharing it because I have recently come to realize a desire that has been stirring in my heart. A desire to share the blessings from God with my brothers and sisters in Christ! Of course, I already do share a bit of my life with certain people, but God is doing so much more in my life than I share with others.
The bible talks a lot about sharing with others and encouraging one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
I believe that through our daily testimonies, we are called to encourage one another and build each other up! God is constantly moving in our lives and wouldn't it be wonderful if we were constantly sharing his workings with each other? When we go to hang out with our friends, it's always a good time. We laugh, we talk about funny things, we tell stories and talk about current events, but I also think it would be wonderful to spend more time talking about our creator and how he is moving in our lives!
I was talking to a beloved friend the other day, and she said, "I don't think my testimony is one that is very encouraging."
The more I thought about it, the more I wondered about people who think their testimony isn't spectacular. Maybe it isn't the kind of testimony where the dead come back to life, and all the sick are healed, but it's still God moving, shaping and leading a person into a beautiful relationship with Christ! It's still a person coming to believe that Christ is their Lord and saviour - king of all kings. And that, is what I think is wonderful about every testimony.
I know there are people who think they don't have too much to say, and what Christ is doing in their life isn't really worth sharing about all the time, but I have to disagree with this way of thinking. I want to encourage more people to share with one another. I realized this is why God brought me to start writing this blog! (Yes, it took me over a year to discover the true purpose - I'm a little slower than average.) There are days when I would write, and I thought I was writing about silly things that nobody cared about but every word reflected on the different effects God has had in my daily life and although they may be small and simple, they are worth sharing with the world because everything God does is part of a greater purpose.
In today's sermon, PG talked about how we should be open about the love we have for our saviour! Why do we allow ourselves to be ashamed or quiet about our love? Shouldn't we be intentional in the ways we express our love for Christ? When I really love a person, I really can't stop talking about them. I can go on and on and on about a person that I really love, because I feel so close and comfortable with them. This should transfer to my relationship with Christ! And it's what I now aim to do! He is always up to something! God doesn't just sit there and twiddle his thumbs around waiting for something to happen. He is working and moving and watching us! In every moment! So yes, maybe there are days when it feels like not much has happened, but the more we look, the more we will find!
So, let's share with one another! Share with your brothers and sisters. When you find joy in a situation, tell somebody! It's wonderful to share our burdens, but let's also share our joy and rejoice in the joyful moments we all experience! Let us build each other up and encourage each other on a daily basis :)
Anyways, that is all for today! I hope to share my daily joys and struggles with you!
-kjoosaurus out!
God is great! Amen? AMEN.
In recent days, God's glory has been revealing itself more and more in my life. The more I search for him, desire him, and seek him, the more I find him in all of the different areas of my life. What I'm about to say is a little bit cheesy, but I don't care so I'm going to say it anyways. :)
Lately, God has been showing me to appreciate the tiniest of things. He's been opening my eyes to the beauty of his creations as I walk around the city I live in. He's been showing me the simple beauty of the flowers, the way the clouds drift across the blue sky, the way the rain feels as it hits my skin. The fact that I can MOVE. That I have two legs to walk on. Two hands. Yeah, it's kind of cheesy, but I'm so grateful to be able to appreciate every bit of what my heavenly father has created for me to enjoy. I take many things in life for granted and rarely spend time to just stop and thank God for the breath I am breathing.
Why am I sharing this simple detail of my life with you? I'm sharing it because I have recently come to realize a desire that has been stirring in my heart. A desire to share the blessings from God with my brothers and sisters in Christ! Of course, I already do share a bit of my life with certain people, but God is doing so much more in my life than I share with others.
The bible talks a lot about sharing with others and encouraging one another.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
I believe that through our daily testimonies, we are called to encourage one another and build each other up! God is constantly moving in our lives and wouldn't it be wonderful if we were constantly sharing his workings with each other? When we go to hang out with our friends, it's always a good time. We laugh, we talk about funny things, we tell stories and talk about current events, but I also think it would be wonderful to spend more time talking about our creator and how he is moving in our lives!
I was talking to a beloved friend the other day, and she said, "I don't think my testimony is one that is very encouraging."
The more I thought about it, the more I wondered about people who think their testimony isn't spectacular. Maybe it isn't the kind of testimony where the dead come back to life, and all the sick are healed, but it's still God moving, shaping and leading a person into a beautiful relationship with Christ! It's still a person coming to believe that Christ is their Lord and saviour - king of all kings. And that, is what I think is wonderful about every testimony.
I know there are people who think they don't have too much to say, and what Christ is doing in their life isn't really worth sharing about all the time, but I have to disagree with this way of thinking. I want to encourage more people to share with one another. I realized this is why God brought me to start writing this blog! (Yes, it took me over a year to discover the true purpose - I'm a little slower than average.) There are days when I would write, and I thought I was writing about silly things that nobody cared about but every word reflected on the different effects God has had in my daily life and although they may be small and simple, they are worth sharing with the world because everything God does is part of a greater purpose.
In today's sermon, PG talked about how we should be open about the love we have for our saviour! Why do we allow ourselves to be ashamed or quiet about our love? Shouldn't we be intentional in the ways we express our love for Christ? When I really love a person, I really can't stop talking about them. I can go on and on and on about a person that I really love, because I feel so close and comfortable with them. This should transfer to my relationship with Christ! And it's what I now aim to do! He is always up to something! God doesn't just sit there and twiddle his thumbs around waiting for something to happen. He is working and moving and watching us! In every moment! So yes, maybe there are days when it feels like not much has happened, but the more we look, the more we will find!
So, let's share with one another! Share with your brothers and sisters. When you find joy in a situation, tell somebody! It's wonderful to share our burdens, but let's also share our joy and rejoice in the joyful moments we all experience! Let us build each other up and encourage each other on a daily basis :)
Anyways, that is all for today! I hope to share my daily joys and struggles with you!
-kjoosaurus out!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Encouraging One Another [5/24/12]
Hello there!
Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday... Lately, I've been struggling with reading the word, and I've been putting it off for a long time, but last night, I finally decided to throw all laziness aside, and I spent some time with God. Of course, it was worth it! For the past few days, I've been staying home and watching movies and dramas. I've been doing absolutely nothing. I always had a feeling that I should be reading his word, but I just couldn't shake the laziness off!
So, yesterday, while I was spending some time with God, he told me a little something that I would love to share with you all today! As I was praying, God was reminding me of something I had heard a while ago. It's something many of us know, but fewer of us do. He told me we should be holding each other accountable and encouraging each other to spend time with God, and to keep up our relationship with him! This is something I had needed in the past week. I needed people to ask me how I was doing spiritually, I needed people to ask me about my relationship with God.
Sorry I didn't post anything yesterday... Lately, I've been struggling with reading the word, and I've been putting it off for a long time, but last night, I finally decided to throw all laziness aside, and I spent some time with God. Of course, it was worth it! For the past few days, I've been staying home and watching movies and dramas. I've been doing absolutely nothing. I always had a feeling that I should be reading his word, but I just couldn't shake the laziness off!
So, yesterday, while I was spending some time with God, he told me a little something that I would love to share with you all today! As I was praying, God was reminding me of something I had heard a while ago. It's something many of us know, but fewer of us do. He told me we should be holding each other accountable and encouraging each other to spend time with God, and to keep up our relationship with him! This is something I had needed in the past week. I needed people to ask me how I was doing spiritually, I needed people to ask me about my relationship with God.
Hebrews 3:12-14
Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters.
Make sure that your own hearts
are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.
You must warn each other every day, while it is still "today," so that
none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened
against God.
For if we are faithful to the end,
trusting God just as firmly as when we first believed,
we will share in all that belongs to Christ.
As my days without God went by, what I noticed was how I was slowly turning away from God. I had very few thoughts about him, and I was immersing myself into worldly things. I was becoming more and more obsessed with whatever drama or movie I was watching, and I chose to do worldly things instead of godly things. It is incredibly easy to fall into this trap! That's why the bible says, "You must warn each other every day." Do you guys see how important it is to keep God in our conversation and actions every single day?
So... How should we go about doing this? Well, something I have personally decided to work on, is asking people how they're doing spiritually, or asking them how their relationship is going with God. Is it not important to check up with our brothers and sisters in Christ? I was trying to think of why I had never done this before, and I realized... It's because many people will act uncomfortable when we ask them this question. I never want to make people feel uncomfortable, so I think I've been avoiding this question. But, we need to be asking this question! We need to talk about God!
Conversations about God should not only take place at church, or at bible studies. They should take place anywhere and everywhere! I hope you will begin to ask your brothers and sisters in Christ how they are doing spiritually. I'm going to do my best to talk about it too. Also, if anybody ever asks you, please don't say, "Oh, it's good." or "It's fine." Yes, it may be good, but we need to elaborate! Go in depth about it! Open up to others about your relationship with Christ! Tell your brothers and sisters in Christ what he is doing for you, so together we can grow! Honestly, I learn so much every time I have a christ based conversation with my brothers and sisters. So, what's stopping us!? Why aren't we talking about this with each other?!
Another thing we should start doing, is meeting up with one another to read the bible together, to grow together and to pray together. I'm really eager to start doing this with my brothers and sisters in Christ! Just reading the word and praying together... How much growth and changes there will be in both of our lives! I'm not saying this should be a one time thing. Oh no, this should be continuous! We should do this as often as we can! For it says in Matthew 18:20:
For where two or three gather together
as my followers, I am there among them.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. So, if two or three of us meet, and study the word and pray with one another, then that means Jesus is in that place with them! And if Jesus is there, then wonderful things MUST be happening! So, once again I say, why aren't we doing this!? Of course, we will always find excuses to why we aren't able to do this. We might say, "There's nobody interested" or "I don't have time." There are millions of excuses we could come up with, but none of them are good enough! There is not a single reason on earth that can justify not having fellowship! So, if you say you don't have time, well, make time! If you have time to be on Facebook, if you have time to watch tv, if you have time to sit there and do absolutely nothing, then you definitely have time to meet up with your brothers and sisters in Christ to read the word and pray together!
Don't let laziness overcome you. Don't let it even take a part in your life! Don't let those lazy thoughts get into your head like they did in mine... I will pray for you! I will pray that we will all meet up together to learn more about God. That we will seek to do his will! That we will never ever turn away from him! So together, let us be faithful till the end!
- kjoosaurus out!
Monday, May 7, 2012
Spiritual Struggles [5/6/12]
Greetings all!
So today, I have very good news, and not so very good news.
This afternoon, I was finally baptized! Today, I publicly proclaimed my love for the Lord. I spoke of my struggles, and how God has been helping me overcome them. Together, with the church, we rejoiced! We sang out to our God, and we cried out words of praise to Him! It was a blessing to be baptized amongst such beautiful people. I will forever remember this glorious day.
Unfortunately, the devil hates this day.
He saw the group of us shouting out our love for the Lord, and he despised it. There is nothing more he would like to see than to see us fall, and go back on the words we declared. Although it has only been 10 hours since I was baptized, he has already attacked me.
For some reason, I felt lonely tonight. I kind of wanted to read the Word, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So, I began to do other things. I watched a drama, and I tried to write this blog. But, for some reason, the right words just wouldn't come to my mind. I was originally going to write this post about baptism, but God wanted me to write about something else instead. Tonight, He showed me how weak I am without Him.
One thing about me is that I'm very emotional. My actions rely greatly on my emotions, and many times, my common sense is clouded by my emotions. Therefore, if my emotions are played with, things tend to become disastrous. Tonight, the devil really played on my jealousy and my need for physical touch. I don't want to go into detail about what happened, but as always, I want to be honest. The devil tempted me, and I fell for it.
He brought up my darkest, and most human, desires and he toyed with my emotions. I felt like the devil had really used me. I felt so weak, so worthless... This is the first time I have cried in months. (That's a very long time for me.) How could it be that hours after being baptized, I had already fallen? I talked to my Mom about this for a very long time. Why am I so weak? Why did God let me fall so soon? If I'm falling for the devil's tricks now, then how will I ever survive?
But, what God wanted me to do, was rely on Him.
I had been too confident. I didn't think the devil would ever attack me in this way or so soon. At the moment, all intentions had seemed so innocent. But, as I look back now, I see how every step was an obvious trick of the devil. He's trying to take me away from God again. He wants me to fall. He wants to see me stumble, and distance myself from God, but I'm not going to let this happen.
This is the first time I've fallen since I was baptized, but God is already picking me up so I can get back on my feet. Tonight, He showed me that I am very, very weak without Him. I was letting myself be over-confident. I was thinking I was strong, but this was slowly making me become independent from God, and dependent on myself.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
So today, I have very good news, and not so very good news.
This afternoon, I was finally baptized! Today, I publicly proclaimed my love for the Lord. I spoke of my struggles, and how God has been helping me overcome them. Together, with the church, we rejoiced! We sang out to our God, and we cried out words of praise to Him! It was a blessing to be baptized amongst such beautiful people. I will forever remember this glorious day.
Unfortunately, the devil hates this day.
He saw the group of us shouting out our love for the Lord, and he despised it. There is nothing more he would like to see than to see us fall, and go back on the words we declared. Although it has only been 10 hours since I was baptized, he has already attacked me.
For some reason, I felt lonely tonight. I kind of wanted to read the Word, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. So, I began to do other things. I watched a drama, and I tried to write this blog. But, for some reason, the right words just wouldn't come to my mind. I was originally going to write this post about baptism, but God wanted me to write about something else instead. Tonight, He showed me how weak I am without Him.
One thing about me is that I'm very emotional. My actions rely greatly on my emotions, and many times, my common sense is clouded by my emotions. Therefore, if my emotions are played with, things tend to become disastrous. Tonight, the devil really played on my jealousy and my need for physical touch. I don't want to go into detail about what happened, but as always, I want to be honest. The devil tempted me, and I fell for it.
He brought up my darkest, and most human, desires and he toyed with my emotions. I felt like the devil had really used me. I felt so weak, so worthless... This is the first time I have cried in months. (That's a very long time for me.) How could it be that hours after being baptized, I had already fallen? I talked to my Mom about this for a very long time. Why am I so weak? Why did God let me fall so soon? If I'm falling for the devil's tricks now, then how will I ever survive?
But, what God wanted me to do, was rely on Him.
I had been too confident. I didn't think the devil would ever attack me in this way or so soon. At the moment, all intentions had seemed so innocent. But, as I look back now, I see how every step was an obvious trick of the devil. He's trying to take me away from God again. He wants me to fall. He wants to see me stumble, and distance myself from God, but I'm not going to let this happen.
This is the first time I've fallen since I was baptized, but God is already picking me up so I can get back on my feet. Tonight, He showed me that I am very, very weak without Him. I was letting myself be over-confident. I was thinking I was strong, but this was slowly making me become independent from God, and dependent on myself.
1 Chronicles 16:11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!
I had already forgotten to do this. I had been relying on my own strength, and because of this, I immediately became vulnerable. Right now, God is teaching me just how much I need to rely on Him. With Him, I can move mountains, without Him, I can do nothing!
Please pray for me. Pray that I may continue to seek his strength. Even now, I know I am still weak. I know I am still vulnerable, and I know the devil is going to keep coming at me. But, I also know that no matter how much the devil tries to attack me, God will always triumph in the end. He is watching over us, and He is caring for us!
I pray for strength, wisdom, and discretion.
Thank you for reading my post tonight. God really wanted me to share about this with you all. I hope you will all seek his strength so that when temptations and struggles come, you will be able to cast them away in the name of God! God bless you all :)
- kjoosaurus out!
Sunday, May 6, 2012
My Testimony [5/5/12]
Hello Hello!
Tomorrow, I will finally be getting baptized! Well, I guess it's today now... But I'm sure you all know what I mean. At my church, we do a water baptism, so every person who gets baptized has to write a short testimony. I've been working on my testimony for a few hours... I wish I could put in every single detail of what the Lord has done in my life, but I could only put in the most important things. It's still very, very long though.
Our God is an awesome God. He's a wonderful God. Full of wonders. Well, tonight, I thought I would share my testimony with you. God changed me from a human filled with hate, to a child of God filled with love. He is so great!
My name is
Kristen Joo, I am 19 years old, and a child of God.
Although I
have no single, crazy event that led me to be saved, I had a series of events
and multiple people that God used to bring me closer to Him, and the way he
planned my life, and the way it perfectly unravelled, is just so wonderful and
beautiful.
I was born and
raised in a Christian family. Since I can remember, I have been going to church
every single Sunday. I absolutely wasn’t allowed to skip church, and there was
no arguing with that! So, every Sunday, I would go to church, and although I
would be physically present, my mind would be worlds away. I would listen to
story after story about this figure named God, but… I never got to know Him… I
just attended church on Sunday, and then I went back to my old self for the
rest of the week.
To be
completely honest, I can’t remember when I was saved. There were so many times
when I was on a spiritual high, but each lasted only a few weeks. So, I
continued to live in a tug of war life with God. He would pull me closer to
Him, and I would pull away. Closer, away. Closer, and away again.
But one
thing I realized.. Is that he never lets us go. Once we are His, we are always
His.
My initial goal
for university was to move to Toronto so that I could be with my cousins. I
applied at a couple schools around that area, but God had very different plans
in mind. All of my plans to move to Toronto were thrown away, and I somehow
ended up in Ottawa. I was upset at first, but I got over it quickly, because
all I really wanted was to move away from home.
Once I
arrived in Ottawa, I was finally free. I could do anything I wanted to do. I
stayed up until 5 in the morning, I didn’t clean my room, I ate all the junk
food I wanted, and the whole time, I had no parents nagging me! I also decided
that I wasn’t going to go to church anymore. This new freedom that I had meant
I could sleep in until 2 on Sundays; I could stay up late on Saturday night,
and know I would have the next day to sleep. So, I stopped going to church...
But, my Mom
started calling me. Every time she called me, she asked me, “Kristen, have you
gone to church yet?” Every time, I would say, “No, I haven’t found one.” So,
being the efficient mother she is, she found a church for me. But.. It was a
Korean church. Because I can’t speak Korean, I’ve always had a very difficult
time with Korean people. They see my face, and they immediately have expectations
that I can not meet. Therefore, I avoided them at all costs. I tried a church,
but it didn’t work out. So, to get my Mom to stop nagging me, I dragged myself
to this dreaded Korean church.
God
definitely wanted me to be there, because the first Sunday I attended was
spectacular! I was so warmly welcomed by the people, and everybody spoke to me
in English!! It was awesome!! Before I
knew it, I had built wonderful, Christ-based relationships. God began to use
me, and change me. He changed me, and he continues to change me so much! There
are many ways where God has changed me, but there is one huge area that He has
changed. He really began to teach me how to love others.
Before I
went away to university, I was filled with so much hate… I hated everything. I
hated anybody that corrected me, I hated anybody that hated me, I hated anybody
that was too nice to me. I just hated everything. This hate really showed in my
actions… I treated my family terribly. I treated my friends without the care
they deserved. I hurt people in ways so bad, I can’t bear to think about it
now. My words were used as a sword to stab, and discourage. The purpose of my
words was to bring people down… The fact that I struggled with pride didn’t
help either. I wanted people to see me as above others. In ways, I was trying
to glorify myself.
I think
this may have been why I couldn’t get closer to God… I felt so, so guilty for
how I had treated his beautiful creations. These were His own children that I
was discouraging and hating! I had caused so much hurt and pain in these
people… How could He bear to love me too?
But, for
some reason, God kept loving me. I was constantly reminded of His love for us. There
were verses all over the place about his love. There were people all over the
place reminding me of how great his love is. God’s love was literally
surrounding me!
This verse
is the only verse I have ever memorized. It has been on my heart for several
years… It has never left me, and for some reason, I always catch myself saying it
in my head.
John
3:16 “For God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but
have eternal life.”
Although
these words were always on my heart, I never really thought about what they
meant. But, as this past school year went by, God has been showing me more, and
more. He has been opening my eyes and my heart. I finally realized what He had
done for me! Even now, after I’ve realized it, I’m still mind-blown. He loved
me THAT MUCH? Who am I to deserve this love? I am a sinner. I am unworthy, I am
worthless, I am nothing. My world was filled with hate, pride, and jealousy…
But, He still showed me His grace. He forgave me for ALL of my sins. ALL OF
THEM! I still cannot believe it. Every single dirty, disgusting, revolting sin
has been forgiven by the grace of God.
When I
discovered this unimaginable love God has for us, a passion began to stir
inside my heart. I want to become like Him. I want to be a reflection of Him!
When I look into the mirror, I don’t want to see myself; I want to see Jesus
Christ, my Lord and Saviour! As I have been getting closer and closer to Him,
He has truly been changing and moulding me. I pray He will make me a humble
servant, so that I may do His will. I pray He will help me give up my whole
life for Him! I pray He will continue change me, so that I may love like He
does.
Galatians 2:20 I have been
crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who
loved me and gave himself for me.
Today, I am
proclaiming my love for Jesus! I am committing the rest of my life to do the
work of the Lord!
Your
Kingdom come,
Your will
be done
On earth as
it is in Heaven.
- kjoosaurus out!
Friday, May 4, 2012
Living Sacrifice [5/4/12]
If God asked you this question: "Will you sacrifice all you have for me?" How would you react?
If God asked you to give up your career for Him, if God asked you to give up all of your worldly possessions for Him, if God asked you to give up everything for Him. Would you do it without hesitation?
You know, one day, God might ask us this exact question. He might ask you to give up the job you worked so hard to get. He might ask you to let go of every single penny you have. We hold on so tightly to these worldly things, but what good is it doing for us? Why am I holding on to the things the world is giving me, when God is promising so much more?
Romans 12:1
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.
A true and proper worship? God wants me to offer Him everything I have, and this will please Him. Everything I now hold in my hands, I should give to God. My whole life should be offered to Him. It's hard, isn't it? As soon as we were brought into this world, we were sinners. Our desires were of the flesh, and we craved and desired the things of this world. Oh, how unrighteous we are!
As we look at the people around us, what do you think they are all looking for? These goals we set for ourselves, what is the final purpose? The final purpose is happiness and fulfillment. People want to believe they have done something with their lives; they believe they will be happy. They think they will be happy once they have all of the money in the world. But, they're always wanting more. Humans are always craving more and more and more to fill the emptiness inside. We try to fill this emptiness with worldly things. Money, clothes, sex, food, idols, music, movies, etc. But, there is only one thing to fill this emptiness. It's our Lord and Savior!
Thinking about how He is the only one who can save us, and the only one who can fill this emptiness inside... It makes it a bit easier for me to sacrifice everything I am to Him. We don't need anything from this world, because He is providing for us. All we need is Him, so why do we allow ourselves to be distracted by the things of this world?
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
If we give up everything to Him, He will change us. He will fill us with His desires, and He will turn us into His image! The closer we get to Him, the more righteous we become! What He hates, we will hate. What He loves, we will love. He is going to mold us until we are no longer an image of the world, but an image of Him. All we have to do is let Him!
If God ever asks us to give up all we have for Him, I hope we will be eager to do it! The things of this world are worth nothing compared to what God has in store for us. :)
Thank you for reading this post! Here is the song I listened today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNjKLz380j8
- kjoosaurus out!
If God asked you to give up your career for Him, if God asked you to give up all of your worldly possessions for Him, if God asked you to give up everything for Him. Would you do it without hesitation?
You know, one day, God might ask us this exact question. He might ask you to give up the job you worked so hard to get. He might ask you to let go of every single penny you have. We hold on so tightly to these worldly things, but what good is it doing for us? Why am I holding on to the things the world is giving me, when God is promising so much more?
Romans 12:1
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.
A true and proper worship? God wants me to offer Him everything I have, and this will please Him. Everything I now hold in my hands, I should give to God. My whole life should be offered to Him. It's hard, isn't it? As soon as we were brought into this world, we were sinners. Our desires were of the flesh, and we craved and desired the things of this world. Oh, how unrighteous we are!
As we look at the people around us, what do you think they are all looking for? These goals we set for ourselves, what is the final purpose? The final purpose is happiness and fulfillment. People want to believe they have done something with their lives; they believe they will be happy. They think they will be happy once they have all of the money in the world. But, they're always wanting more. Humans are always craving more and more and more to fill the emptiness inside. We try to fill this emptiness with worldly things. Money, clothes, sex, food, idols, music, movies, etc. But, there is only one thing to fill this emptiness. It's our Lord and Savior!
Thinking about how He is the only one who can save us, and the only one who can fill this emptiness inside... It makes it a bit easier for me to sacrifice everything I am to Him. We don't need anything from this world, because He is providing for us. All we need is Him, so why do we allow ourselves to be distracted by the things of this world?
Romans 12:2
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will.
If we give up everything to Him, He will change us. He will fill us with His desires, and He will turn us into His image! The closer we get to Him, the more righteous we become! What He hates, we will hate. What He loves, we will love. He is going to mold us until we are no longer an image of the world, but an image of Him. All we have to do is let Him!
If God ever asks us to give up all we have for Him, I hope we will be eager to do it! The things of this world are worth nothing compared to what God has in store for us. :)
Thank you for reading this post! Here is the song I listened today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNjKLz380j8
- kjoosaurus out!
Standing Strong [5/3/12]
Hello~
You know, everyday, I'm amazed at how much God has a hand in every aspect of my life. He is all over the place! He is a part of every conversation I have, a part of every action I take, and a part of every move I make. It is beautiful to see Him everywhere I go. Lately, I've been much more open about my faith. I've had many friends ask me about my faith, and I was very cautious at first... I didn't want them to judge me or think differently about me, so I would often sugar coat things.
I used to tell people, "Yeah, I'm a Christian, but I'm not one of those hard-core Christians." Well, guess what? I have now become what I used to define as a "hard-core" Christian. Yes, some of my relationships with non-believers have changed... People begin to treat me differently and think of me differently, but this is expected.
Matthew 10:22
"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
We should expect for people to treat us differently, and even to hate us. I've seen this happen quite a bit to my sisters and brothers in Christ and even myself, but it is not something that should be stopping us from announcing our faith to the world! We should continue to preach the gospel. Having the world hate us should not stop us from loving Christ to the best of our ability.
There are also many times when people will question us about our faith... They will ask us WHY.
1 Peter 3:15
"15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect"
The other day, I met up with a friend I haven't talked to in a very, very long time. I think it's been about three years? Anyways, he actually asked me this exact question. He asked me, "Kristen, why are you a Christian?"
There were many thoughts that entered my head at this moment... I had several options. I could kind of ignore it, and say "Why not?" Or, I could keep myself from being judged and say some very vague and foolish question... But God doesn't want me to hide any part of my faith. He wants us to tell people exactly why we believe! This doesn't mean he wants us to start an argument with every non-believer, and force them to believe in God! He wants us to be honest with them. I told my friend about what Jesus Christ had done for me... How my sins were forgiven... How God is waiting for me in Heaven so we may be together for all of eternity.
I wasn't trying to convince my friend of anything, I was just telling him exactly what I believed. I think, if we're honest with people, there will always be people that hate us for what we believe, but there will also be the people who become intrigued by the way we live our lives, and our actions. People become interested, and they begin to ask more and more questions. I know this is one way that people come to know Christ. I personally want to open all doors for people to get to know Christ, so if God chooses to use me in this way to bring others to Him, then I will continue to stand strong in my faith! I will not hesitate when people ask me why I believe in Him.
It's a scary thought... Thinking of how people will hate you for what you believe in. But, it's something I'm willing to sacrifice to have at least a few people get to know Him. I pray that he will give me strength... I pray that He will take away all of our fears of being judged and hated.
Thank you for reading this post :) Here's the song I listened to today! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohvhmGSfxI&ob=av2e
-kjoosaurus out!
You know, everyday, I'm amazed at how much God has a hand in every aspect of my life. He is all over the place! He is a part of every conversation I have, a part of every action I take, and a part of every move I make. It is beautiful to see Him everywhere I go. Lately, I've been much more open about my faith. I've had many friends ask me about my faith, and I was very cautious at first... I didn't want them to judge me or think differently about me, so I would often sugar coat things.
I used to tell people, "Yeah, I'm a Christian, but I'm not one of those hard-core Christians." Well, guess what? I have now become what I used to define as a "hard-core" Christian. Yes, some of my relationships with non-believers have changed... People begin to treat me differently and think of me differently, but this is expected.
Matthew 10:22
"All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
We should expect for people to treat us differently, and even to hate us. I've seen this happen quite a bit to my sisters and brothers in Christ and even myself, but it is not something that should be stopping us from announcing our faith to the world! We should continue to preach the gospel. Having the world hate us should not stop us from loving Christ to the best of our ability.
There are also many times when people will question us about our faith... They will ask us WHY.
1 Peter 3:15
"15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect"
The other day, I met up with a friend I haven't talked to in a very, very long time. I think it's been about three years? Anyways, he actually asked me this exact question. He asked me, "Kristen, why are you a Christian?"
There were many thoughts that entered my head at this moment... I had several options. I could kind of ignore it, and say "Why not?" Or, I could keep myself from being judged and say some very vague and foolish question... But God doesn't want me to hide any part of my faith. He wants us to tell people exactly why we believe! This doesn't mean he wants us to start an argument with every non-believer, and force them to believe in God! He wants us to be honest with them. I told my friend about what Jesus Christ had done for me... How my sins were forgiven... How God is waiting for me in Heaven so we may be together for all of eternity.
I wasn't trying to convince my friend of anything, I was just telling him exactly what I believed. I think, if we're honest with people, there will always be people that hate us for what we believe, but there will also be the people who become intrigued by the way we live our lives, and our actions. People become interested, and they begin to ask more and more questions. I know this is one way that people come to know Christ. I personally want to open all doors for people to get to know Christ, so if God chooses to use me in this way to bring others to Him, then I will continue to stand strong in my faith! I will not hesitate when people ask me why I believe in Him.
It's a scary thought... Thinking of how people will hate you for what you believe in. But, it's something I'm willing to sacrifice to have at least a few people get to know Him. I pray that he will give me strength... I pray that He will take away all of our fears of being judged and hated.
Thank you for reading this post :) Here's the song I listened to today! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ohvhmGSfxI&ob=av2e
-kjoosaurus out!
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Endurable [5/2/12]
Hello~ kjoosaurus is back!
I hope everybody enjoyed yesterday's post as much as I did... There was a lot of meaning in the post, and I am so grateful for the honesty that came from the author! It was refreshingly beautiful, and it really meant a lot to me. So, thank you!
As some may know, yesterday was a day filled with traveling! I went from Ottawa to Vancouver, and my room is now a disaster. It was so great to see my family; I didn't realize how much I missed them until I saw them again. It is such a blessing to be part of such a loving and caring family. For many years, I have taken them for granted, and I wish I had known better! But I am now going to try my very best to appreciate and love them as much as I can! It's never too late to start :)
God has provided me with various topics to write about, but He has mostly been pushing me towards the topic of temptation. Hmmm.. Temptation. It existed since the beginning; Satan tempted Eve into taking a bite of the fruit. From then on, temptation has occurred over, and over, and over again throughout the bible. The temptation to sin surrounds us; it comes in all shapes and forms, and they can appear to be so humanly impossible to resist.
Ottawa. It was a place where temptations had a harder time getting to me. I struggled a bit with temptations, but they were easier for me to deal with. Was it because I had such a strong support from my brothers and sisters in Christ? Was it because I had grown so much closer to God?
Vancouver. Oh, Vancouver. Just hours after landing in Vancouver, I was tempted to go back to my old ways. My days of laziness, my days of anger and impatience, my days of selfish desires. I haven't been in Vancouver long, but my initial feeling was a loss of passion; I felt like I had lost my desire to worship and love the Lord. I didn't feel like reading the Bible, and I had no desire to pray. I was tempted to sit in my bed all day and all night, and just waste my time watching dramas, listening to worldly music, and just do nothing.
I was at a vulnerable state. I didn't have the support I was used to, and temptations have been coming at me from left and right. To be brutally honest, and I want to be completely honest with you all, I have been hit by many sexual temptations, and temptations for recognition/attention. These temptations have been VERY obvious since I got home.. Since I have arrived home, I have been receiving quite a bit of attention. All of it from males. These certain people have been saying things to me that perplex and distract me... They give me attention I used to crave so much, but now, I'm just sitting here wondering why God is allowing them to distract me from Him.
At first, I was really torn. This attention I was receiving was attention I had craved for so long. I never ever received this kind of attention, and I had been seeking and searching it for 90% of my life! I was tempted to go back to my old ways, and bask in this attention. I was so close to moving away from God again, and accepting this new attention, but as I've been thinking about it, God has showed me that these are just false rewards. This is not the attention and "love" I am craving. What I truly desire is God's love.
I was telling a brother in Christ about these troubling temptations I've been facing, and he told me to look up this verse.
1 Corinthians 10:13
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
Our God is faithful! The temptations we face... They are nothing we can't handle. It becomes troubling to be facing a temptation. In that very moment when we are living through the temptation, it can feel impossible. At times, we may feel like there is no other choice but to succumb to this temptation, but trust in the Lord, for He is mightier than any trial or temptation we face. He will always provide us with a way out, and we must look to Him!
I think God really wants us to trust Him and lean on Him. As mere humans, we seem to think our own power is good enough to rely on, but we are so weak. Without God, we are vulnerable to anything and everything, and with God, we are able to get through anything. The situation may seem difficult at the moment, but we must remember we are not alone. Not only do we have God, but He has provided us with people on this earth who are there to support us and pray for us.
James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Don't be afraid to share your sins with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ... We aren't meant to keep everything inside, and handle everything on our own. God wants us to pray for each other; I believe this is a part of loving each other... Prayer is a powerful thing and we must use it to help each other as well! Many times, it is so difficult for us to confess our sins to people on this earth. There is so much stopping us; I personally struggle with being judged, and I'm sure there are many other reasons why people struggle with confessing to each other.
I'm not suggesting you tell every single person about your every sin... That's not at all what I mean. We should take note of how the verse says the "earnest prayer of a righteous person..." Those who are true brothers and sisters of Christ are the ones who will have effective prayers. They are the ones who God is able to use to guide you and help you through any difficult situation! It is a great thing to be able to pray for your sisters and brothers in Christ! There's a reason why we have one another. We are here to support, love and pray for each other. We should share our struggles with one another, and whole-heartedly pray for each other! Relationships are beautiful in this way. God uses relationships to guide every single one of us!
Anything is possible with God.
He has provided our every need, and there is a reason for everything that happens in our lives. Whether it be temptations that seem so difficult to endure, or blessings that God has given us. He has designed our lives with such detail and precision; everything was planned out perfectly before we were even born! Let us not forget how truly magnificent and mighty our Lord is! :) Praise Him!
Thank you for reading this post! It's much appreciated :) Here's the song I listened to today - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7QQGPv1Ikc
-kjoosaurus out!
I hope everybody enjoyed yesterday's post as much as I did... There was a lot of meaning in the post, and I am so grateful for the honesty that came from the author! It was refreshingly beautiful, and it really meant a lot to me. So, thank you!
As some may know, yesterday was a day filled with traveling! I went from Ottawa to Vancouver, and my room is now a disaster. It was so great to see my family; I didn't realize how much I missed them until I saw them again. It is such a blessing to be part of such a loving and caring family. For many years, I have taken them for granted, and I wish I had known better! But I am now going to try my very best to appreciate and love them as much as I can! It's never too late to start :)
God has provided me with various topics to write about, but He has mostly been pushing me towards the topic of temptation. Hmmm.. Temptation. It existed since the beginning; Satan tempted Eve into taking a bite of the fruit. From then on, temptation has occurred over, and over, and over again throughout the bible. The temptation to sin surrounds us; it comes in all shapes and forms, and they can appear to be so humanly impossible to resist.
Ottawa. It was a place where temptations had a harder time getting to me. I struggled a bit with temptations, but they were easier for me to deal with. Was it because I had such a strong support from my brothers and sisters in Christ? Was it because I had grown so much closer to God?
Vancouver. Oh, Vancouver. Just hours after landing in Vancouver, I was tempted to go back to my old ways. My days of laziness, my days of anger and impatience, my days of selfish desires. I haven't been in Vancouver long, but my initial feeling was a loss of passion; I felt like I had lost my desire to worship and love the Lord. I didn't feel like reading the Bible, and I had no desire to pray. I was tempted to sit in my bed all day and all night, and just waste my time watching dramas, listening to worldly music, and just do nothing.
I was at a vulnerable state. I didn't have the support I was used to, and temptations have been coming at me from left and right. To be brutally honest, and I want to be completely honest with you all, I have been hit by many sexual temptations, and temptations for recognition/attention. These temptations have been VERY obvious since I got home.. Since I have arrived home, I have been receiving quite a bit of attention. All of it from males. These certain people have been saying things to me that perplex and distract me... They give me attention I used to crave so much, but now, I'm just sitting here wondering why God is allowing them to distract me from Him.
At first, I was really torn. This attention I was receiving was attention I had craved for so long. I never ever received this kind of attention, and I had been seeking and searching it for 90% of my life! I was tempted to go back to my old ways, and bask in this attention. I was so close to moving away from God again, and accepting this new attention, but as I've been thinking about it, God has showed me that these are just false rewards. This is not the attention and "love" I am craving. What I truly desire is God's love.
I was telling a brother in Christ about these troubling temptations I've been facing, and he told me to look up this verse.
1 Corinthians 10:13
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."
Our God is faithful! The temptations we face... They are nothing we can't handle. It becomes troubling to be facing a temptation. In that very moment when we are living through the temptation, it can feel impossible. At times, we may feel like there is no other choice but to succumb to this temptation, but trust in the Lord, for He is mightier than any trial or temptation we face. He will always provide us with a way out, and we must look to Him!
I think God really wants us to trust Him and lean on Him. As mere humans, we seem to think our own power is good enough to rely on, but we are so weak. Without God, we are vulnerable to anything and everything, and with God, we are able to get through anything. The situation may seem difficult at the moment, but we must remember we are not alone. Not only do we have God, but He has provided us with people on this earth who are there to support us and pray for us.
James 5:16
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
Don't be afraid to share your sins with your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ... We aren't meant to keep everything inside, and handle everything on our own. God wants us to pray for each other; I believe this is a part of loving each other... Prayer is a powerful thing and we must use it to help each other as well! Many times, it is so difficult for us to confess our sins to people on this earth. There is so much stopping us; I personally struggle with being judged, and I'm sure there are many other reasons why people struggle with confessing to each other.
I'm not suggesting you tell every single person about your every sin... That's not at all what I mean. We should take note of how the verse says the "earnest prayer of a righteous person..." Those who are true brothers and sisters of Christ are the ones who will have effective prayers. They are the ones who God is able to use to guide you and help you through any difficult situation! It is a great thing to be able to pray for your sisters and brothers in Christ! There's a reason why we have one another. We are here to support, love and pray for each other. We should share our struggles with one another, and whole-heartedly pray for each other! Relationships are beautiful in this way. God uses relationships to guide every single one of us!
Anything is possible with God.
He has provided our every need, and there is a reason for everything that happens in our lives. Whether it be temptations that seem so difficult to endure, or blessings that God has given us. He has designed our lives with such detail and precision; everything was planned out perfectly before we were even born! Let us not forget how truly magnificent and mighty our Lord is! :) Praise Him!
Thank you for reading this post! It's much appreciated :) Here's the song I listened to today - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7QQGPv1Ikc
-kjoosaurus out!
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Holy Spirit [4/28/12]
Hello!
So, I have a lot to talk about today. I'm going to do this blog in two separate posts. This first one is going to talk about a prayer that was answered, and how the Holy Spirit guided me through a very new experience. These past couple of days, I have been traveling in Toronto/Mississauga/Oakville. The reason for me being in that area was because I was attending a Vision Camp that my friend was speaking at; the experience was amazing and God spoke to me in amazing ways, but I would like to save that story for another day! The story I would like to share with you happened on the greyhound on the way to the Vision Camp. It was an event that I have never been able to experience before, and it was truly through God's grace that it could happen!
I was heading to Toronto with a friend of mine, and when we got on the bus, there wasn't enough space for the two of us to sit together. Because of this, I ended up sitting beside a young-looking girl. As I sat down beside her, I began to pray. I asked God to give me an opportunity to start a conversation with her. I also requested that I would be able to give her something to think about; I prayed that he would use the Holy Spirit to guide me, and use my mouth to utter wise words. For the first hour of the bus ride, I didn't say a single word to her. I forgot about my prayer, when all of a sudden she began fiddling with the air conditioning. She asked me if I was feeling cold, and from there, a conversation started.
The first hour of conversation is a blur to me. It went by extremely fast, and I got to know so much about her in such a short amount of time! We talked about our lives, what we were doing, what we were interested in, etc. Then, she asked me what I was going to Toronto for. I told her I was going to a church event, and from there, we began to speak about Christianity. I discovered that she is Catholic, and I began to ask her about her faith. I was genuinely curious, because I don't know much about that religion. I always knew it was similar to Christianity, but I wasn't sure how it was different. One difference we found was that Catholics believe there is another way to Heaven other than Jesus. This girl believed she would be able to get into Heaven if she were able to do many good deeds. When I heard this, I asked her if she believed she was a sinner. She said no, and then proceeded to ask me if I believed I was a sinner.
I told her: Yes, I believe I am a sinner. I believe there is no way I could ever possibly follow all of the ten commandments. I told her about a couple of them, and how impossible they are to follow! Then, I proceeded to tell her that although I am a sinner, it is because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour that I am able to accepted by God, and taken to Heaven to be with Him.
The reaction I got to this was unexpected. She stared at me, and told me she had never heard of this before. She sat there, and thought and thought and thought. She told me it was very interesting, and she really seemed to be in shock about this. As the conversation moved on, we continued to talk about more and more. She told me she had not talked about religion in a long time, and I would like to think she had more to think about. I pray that the Holy Spirit is working in her at this very moment!
So, I have a lot to talk about today. I'm going to do this blog in two separate posts. This first one is going to talk about a prayer that was answered, and how the Holy Spirit guided me through a very new experience. These past couple of days, I have been traveling in Toronto/Mississauga/Oakville. The reason for me being in that area was because I was attending a Vision Camp that my friend was speaking at; the experience was amazing and God spoke to me in amazing ways, but I would like to save that story for another day! The story I would like to share with you happened on the greyhound on the way to the Vision Camp. It was an event that I have never been able to experience before, and it was truly through God's grace that it could happen!
I was heading to Toronto with a friend of mine, and when we got on the bus, there wasn't enough space for the two of us to sit together. Because of this, I ended up sitting beside a young-looking girl. As I sat down beside her, I began to pray. I asked God to give me an opportunity to start a conversation with her. I also requested that I would be able to give her something to think about; I prayed that he would use the Holy Spirit to guide me, and use my mouth to utter wise words. For the first hour of the bus ride, I didn't say a single word to her. I forgot about my prayer, when all of a sudden she began fiddling with the air conditioning. She asked me if I was feeling cold, and from there, a conversation started.
The first hour of conversation is a blur to me. It went by extremely fast, and I got to know so much about her in such a short amount of time! We talked about our lives, what we were doing, what we were interested in, etc. Then, she asked me what I was going to Toronto for. I told her I was going to a church event, and from there, we began to speak about Christianity. I discovered that she is Catholic, and I began to ask her about her faith. I was genuinely curious, because I don't know much about that religion. I always knew it was similar to Christianity, but I wasn't sure how it was different. One difference we found was that Catholics believe there is another way to Heaven other than Jesus. This girl believed she would be able to get into Heaven if she were able to do many good deeds. When I heard this, I asked her if she believed she was a sinner. She said no, and then proceeded to ask me if I believed I was a sinner.
I told her: Yes, I believe I am a sinner. I believe there is no way I could ever possibly follow all of the ten commandments. I told her about a couple of them, and how impossible they are to follow! Then, I proceeded to tell her that although I am a sinner, it is because I have accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Saviour that I am able to accepted by God, and taken to Heaven to be with Him.
The reaction I got to this was unexpected. She stared at me, and told me she had never heard of this before. She sat there, and thought and thought and thought. She told me it was very interesting, and she really seemed to be in shock about this. As the conversation moved on, we continued to talk about more and more. She told me she had not talked about religion in a long time, and I would like to think she had more to think about. I pray that the Holy Spirit is working in her at this very moment!
Luke 12:12, "for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say."
The Holy Spirit took control of my body; I was used to tell this girl about the grace of God! The words that came out of my mouth were not my own, but the words of the Spirit. I feel so blessed to be able to be used in this way! I pray that the Holy Spirit will work the same way in each and every one of you. Trust in God, and let the Holy Spirit take control! God provides us with so many opportunities; we must grasp these opportunities, and let him work through us!
Thank you for reading this post! Instead of posting another one tonight, I will post two tomorrow because I'm exhausted right now! I have so much more to share with you all, and I have a feeling that I will be having a lot to say in the next couple of days, so keep on reading! :)
-kjoosaurus out!
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Loving the World [4/26/12]
Hello!
I've been distracted by clothes, television, media, money, music, and so much more. I tell people "I love my iPod." Or, "I love this shirt." I could go on, and on, and on about how much I love these worldly things, but this must sound so sad to God! When I see other people with expensive and fancy things, I find myself wanting them. I catch myself thinking about how much I want these items. I want the latest gadget, and I want the newest style of clothes. Yes, these things seem cool, and they can be of use, but why do I obsess over them? How could I ever claim to "love" these things?
Lately, I've been wondering a lot about how attached I am to this world, and how much effort I put into worldly things. I've been asking myself questions like "Would I want to win the lottery?" or "Why do I claim to love materialistic things?" I know it sounds like a silly question to be asking, but I continue to ask myself these questions because I have come to realize how easily I fall for materialistic and worldly things. They are so distracting, and they are EVERYWHERE. They are tempting, and they are tricky. I used to often find myself being taken away from God because of the worldly things that surrounded me.
I've been distracted by clothes, television, media, money, music, and so much more. I tell people "I love my iPod." Or, "I love this shirt." I could go on, and on, and on about how much I love these worldly things, but this must sound so sad to God! When I see other people with expensive and fancy things, I find myself wanting them. I catch myself thinking about how much I want these items. I want the latest gadget, and I want the newest style of clothes. Yes, these things seem cool, and they can be of use, but why do I obsess over them? How could I ever claim to "love" these things?
1 John 3:15
"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."
"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."
I'm sure I'm not the only one who has caught myself loving things from this world. I'm sure we have all caught ourselves obsessing over material things. If you've ever lost a great deal of money, or broken something valuable, I'm sure you've felt sadness and sometimes anger. But, this love we have for material things shouldn't be there. It distracts us from loving our God, and it prevents us from loving him to the fullest we could! Why do we love these things that are worth nothing...? They are temporary things. When we are finally with our Father, they will mean absolutely nothing to us! So, why do they mean so much now?
Let's fill ourselves with love for God; let there be no room for us to love worldly things. This is extremely hard, but day by day, the amount of love we have for God will grow. We must pray that he fills us with his love! We will be with Him for all of eternity!
Thank you for reading my blog tonight!
-kjoosaurus out!
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Peace and Comfort [4/24/12]
Hellooo there!
Exams are finally done! I'm pretty sure I passed all of my exams - yay! I hope everybody has been doing well; I hope all the students who are done exams are now filled with a sense of relief. I know I am! Yet, I still manage to procrastinate... I'm currently procrastinating packing. It's weird how I started packing at 2pm, and I still haven't finished. Oh well! I'll finish packing eventually!
Like I continue to repeat, over and over again, the relationships I've built in Ottawa have been beautiful, precious, and blessed! The majority of my relationships have been based on Christ, and this makes them so much deeper and much more meaningful. I have grown to love so many people; God used so many people to guide me and encourage me! The times spent together have been so memorable, fun and enjoyable! Honestly, I love spending time with all of these people so much; I always enjoy myself when I'm around my friends, and I cherish these moments together.
God has blessed me with such amazing people; He has put them in my life, and He has used every single one of them to guide, mold and encourage me! They have become such an important part of my life, but I am being separated with some for an indefinite amount of time... This means, I will no longer see them every day or every week, and I will no longer be able to have the same amount of face-to-face interaction that we have now. There are others that I will not be seeing for four months; although the time is short, it still makes me really sad... I think one of the hardest parts is knowing that I am really bad at keeping in touch with people through technology. I'm scared that relationships will be different when I come back to Ottawa in September; I'm scared that things will change.
Although I held these feelings of fear and sadness inside of my heart, I turned to God, and told him of these emotions I was experiencing. Through Him, I found peace and comforting. If we turn to Him when we are experiencing troubles or sorrows, he will never disappoint! He will bring peace to our hearts, and we have no need to be afraid! I'm sure there are times when you struggle, and when you feel as if you are in the worst situation possible, but stop worrying! Stop letting things bring you down! Bring all of your troubles, sorrows, and problems to God. He is waiting for you to turn to Him!
God loves us. He is never ever going to abandon us. I am going to repeat this over, and over, and over again until each and every person on this earth understands and remembers this! Jesus died on the cross for us, our sins have been forgiven. We have been blessed, and we are loved! We have been put on this earth to serve Him! So when you are feeling down, discouraged or afraid, don't be scared to pour your heart out to Him. He is waiting for you. Let Him know your sorrows, and He will take these troubles off of your heart! He will give you peace. He will comfort you!
Our God is an awesome God! He loves us so, so much. Let's praise Him and continue to do His will, and His will only!
Thank you very much for reading my blog! :) Here's the song I listened to today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2-Inc8TkA
- kjoosaurus out!
Exams are finally done! I'm pretty sure I passed all of my exams - yay! I hope everybody has been doing well; I hope all the students who are done exams are now filled with a sense of relief. I know I am! Yet, I still manage to procrastinate... I'm currently procrastinating packing. It's weird how I started packing at 2pm, and I still haven't finished. Oh well! I'll finish packing eventually!
Like I continue to repeat, over and over again, the relationships I've built in Ottawa have been beautiful, precious, and blessed! The majority of my relationships have been based on Christ, and this makes them so much deeper and much more meaningful. I have grown to love so many people; God used so many people to guide me and encourage me! The times spent together have been so memorable, fun and enjoyable! Honestly, I love spending time with all of these people so much; I always enjoy myself when I'm around my friends, and I cherish these moments together.
God has blessed me with such amazing people; He has put them in my life, and He has used every single one of them to guide, mold and encourage me! They have become such an important part of my life, but I am being separated with some for an indefinite amount of time... This means, I will no longer see them every day or every week, and I will no longer be able to have the same amount of face-to-face interaction that we have now. There are others that I will not be seeing for four months; although the time is short, it still makes me really sad... I think one of the hardest parts is knowing that I am really bad at keeping in touch with people through technology. I'm scared that relationships will be different when I come back to Ottawa in September; I'm scared that things will change.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.
Not
as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled,
neither let them be afraid.
Although I held these feelings of fear and sadness inside of my heart, I turned to God, and told him of these emotions I was experiencing. Through Him, I found peace and comforting. If we turn to Him when we are experiencing troubles or sorrows, he will never disappoint! He will bring peace to our hearts, and we have no need to be afraid! I'm sure there are times when you struggle, and when you feel as if you are in the worst situation possible, but stop worrying! Stop letting things bring you down! Bring all of your troubles, sorrows, and problems to God. He is waiting for you to turn to Him!
God loves us. He is never ever going to abandon us. I am going to repeat this over, and over, and over again until each and every person on this earth understands and remembers this! Jesus died on the cross for us, our sins have been forgiven. We have been blessed, and we are loved! We have been put on this earth to serve Him! So when you are feeling down, discouraged or afraid, don't be scared to pour your heart out to Him. He is waiting for you. Let Him know your sorrows, and He will take these troubles off of your heart! He will give you peace. He will comfort you!
Our God is an awesome God! He loves us so, so much. Let's praise Him and continue to do His will, and His will only!
Thank you very much for reading my blog! :) Here's the song I listened to today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx2-Inc8TkA
- kjoosaurus out!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Prayer [4/23/12]
Good evening!
Last night, I was able to have an amazing experience with God and a close friend of mine. For the first time, I spent a couple of hours in prayer with a friend. It wasn't anything planned, and it was completely brought by God! It was incredible to pray together with a friend for other people. It was so beautiful to be able to praise and thank God alongside a close friend! It was such a wonderful experience, and I began to wonder why I had never done it before.
Prayer has only recently begun to become an important part of my life. Before, it was something I would do if I remembered, and I never tried very hard to remember to pray. My prayers would always be empty, and effortless. I would mumble a quick prayer before I ate my food, and I would mumble a quick prayer before I fell asleep at night. When my grandmother came over, she would wake up every morning at 6, and she would pray for an hour or two. I didn't understand why she took such a long time to pray; I didn't see what she could be praying for. When I prayed, they always used to be for selfish things. They were prayers with my own goals in mind, not the goals of my Father. Therefore, I would pray selfishly and emptily.
As I grow, and learn more, I have begun to realize how beautiful and precious prayer is. Through prayer, we are able to achieve so much!
Last night, I was able to have an amazing experience with God and a close friend of mine. For the first time, I spent a couple of hours in prayer with a friend. It wasn't anything planned, and it was completely brought by God! It was incredible to pray together with a friend for other people. It was so beautiful to be able to praise and thank God alongside a close friend! It was such a wonderful experience, and I began to wonder why I had never done it before.
Prayer has only recently begun to become an important part of my life. Before, it was something I would do if I remembered, and I never tried very hard to remember to pray. My prayers would always be empty, and effortless. I would mumble a quick prayer before I ate my food, and I would mumble a quick prayer before I fell asleep at night. When my grandmother came over, she would wake up every morning at 6, and she would pray for an hour or two. I didn't understand why she took such a long time to pray; I didn't see what she could be praying for. When I prayed, they always used to be for selfish things. They were prayers with my own goals in mind, not the goals of my Father. Therefore, I would pray selfishly and emptily.
As I grow, and learn more, I have begun to realize how beautiful and precious prayer is. Through prayer, we are able to achieve so much!
Matthew 21:22
"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith."
Prayer is important because it allows us to become closer with God, and he reveals things to us as we pray because with prayer, we are able to ask Him every and any request we have in our hearts. With prayer, we are able to repent to God. We are able to ask Him for forgiveness, and we are able to spill our struggles and trials to Him. It is beautiful to know that we are able to have such a close relationship with Him, and knowing that, why do choose to not spend time with Him? We could get to know Him so much better if we spent more time with Him, but why are we letting other things distract us so easily?
Also, God revealed to me how it is possible for my grandmother to pray for hours. He revealed to me that if we have His goals in our mind, we could pray about these goals forever. To pray for those who are not yet saved, to pray for the things he wants, to pray for the things we wish for him to change about us, to pray for our sisters and brothers. We could pray day after day after day. Doing God's will isn't just a temporary thing. There are endless things to pray about, and we must continue to pray until we are finally with Him!!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Purpose [4/18/12]
Hello to all you beautiful people!
Isn't it crazy how quickly time flies? I can so clearly remember my first day in Ottawa... I can remember how my hair became a huge frizz ball because of the difference in the weather from Vancouver, I remember moving into my room and waiting in anticipation of seeing my roommate for the first time, I remember waiting in line to figure out which room I would be in. But, that was eight months ago! Eight whole months have gone by since I moved to Ottawa, and in that time, I've changed so much as a person. I've learned so much, and my eyes have been opened to so many new things.
One thing that has changed in my life, is the purpose of my life. Before I came to know Christ, I don't think I had much of a purpose... My goals were steered towards education, a successful career, and a comfortable lifestyle. This was everything I was striving for; I wanted to be well-off, but then as I came to know Christ, I began to question this. What would happen if I DID become well-off and fulfill all of my "goals"? I would just breathe, work, live, and then what? Once I completed everything I wanted, what would be the purpose? Well, now that I think of it, there would be none. Those were such shallow, worldly, and selfish goals. All I wanted was for ME to live comfortably, or for ME to be happy... But I didn't think beyond that.
When I came to know Christ, I became passionate about so much more. I now want to serve him! I want to get to know him! I want to be with him! Things have drastically changed; my life is full of meaning because of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Although I have discovered these things, there are still certain aspects I struggle with.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Like I was talking about yesterday, God has plans for us, and we don't know what they are. We know they are for good, but we still don't know what they are. The part I struggle with, is when I can't see God using me. I so badly want to serve him, and have him use me to do his work, but there are times when I feel so USELESS. Even recently, I've been in situations where I just wish God would put the right words in my mouth, I pray that he would fill me with wisdom and knowledge to be able to reach out to other people, but I don't see it happening.
The most recent situation was where a friend of mine was feeling down. I wanted to help so badly, but I just didn't know what to say. I was praying that the Holy Spirit would work through me to reach out to this friend. I wanted to be the person God used to guide them, but this didn't happen. I went home feeling sad, and useless. I kept thinking and thinking. I wondered to myself, "When is God ever going to use me?" I was sitting there, and I was ready. I was ready for him to take control and use me to do his work. But, I wasn't seeing anything.
I kept wondering about this, and wondering why God wasn't using me. The more I thought about it, the more I didn't understand. But then, He revealed something to me. He showed me how although I was wanting to help a friend, my desires were actually selfish. The reason why is because I was seeking attention. I wanted people to compliment me for being such a good friend; I wanted people to consider me somebody with extremely wise words. I wasn't seeking God's glory, but my own. As God revealed this to me, I became so ashamed and embarrassed. I even hesitated to write about this on my blog, but I wanted to be honest. I have often struggled with my pride. Ever since I was young, I would seek compliments and attention from my peers. I would like to think I have become more humble, but I know I'm still struggling with my pride.
Proverbs 11:2 says, "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
I'm praying and praying that the Lord would help me become humble. Being prideful is such an unattractive quality, and the Lord crowns the humble with salvation! I praise the Lord for bringing me to where I am now! In the short time I have gotten to know him, I realize he has taught me so much... He has guided me through everything and he is moulding me right now! As he moulds me, he is unraveling his plan for me. We all have such amazing purposes! We are all of use to God, but we must be patient. Just because we can't see what he's doing, doesn't mean he isn't doing anything! I praise God for giving me such a phenomenal purpose in my life. He has given my life so much meaning!
Thanks for reading my blog!! Here's the song I listened to while writing this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdq9Q8wJdjc
-kjoosaurus out!
Isn't it crazy how quickly time flies? I can so clearly remember my first day in Ottawa... I can remember how my hair became a huge frizz ball because of the difference in the weather from Vancouver, I remember moving into my room and waiting in anticipation of seeing my roommate for the first time, I remember waiting in line to figure out which room I would be in. But, that was eight months ago! Eight whole months have gone by since I moved to Ottawa, and in that time, I've changed so much as a person. I've learned so much, and my eyes have been opened to so many new things.
One thing that has changed in my life, is the purpose of my life. Before I came to know Christ, I don't think I had much of a purpose... My goals were steered towards education, a successful career, and a comfortable lifestyle. This was everything I was striving for; I wanted to be well-off, but then as I came to know Christ, I began to question this. What would happen if I DID become well-off and fulfill all of my "goals"? I would just breathe, work, live, and then what? Once I completed everything I wanted, what would be the purpose? Well, now that I think of it, there would be none. Those were such shallow, worldly, and selfish goals. All I wanted was for ME to live comfortably, or for ME to be happy... But I didn't think beyond that.
When I came to know Christ, I became passionate about so much more. I now want to serve him! I want to get to know him! I want to be with him! Things have drastically changed; my life is full of meaning because of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Although I have discovered these things, there are still certain aspects I struggle with.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Like I was talking about yesterday, God has plans for us, and we don't know what they are. We know they are for good, but we still don't know what they are. The part I struggle with, is when I can't see God using me. I so badly want to serve him, and have him use me to do his work, but there are times when I feel so USELESS. Even recently, I've been in situations where I just wish God would put the right words in my mouth, I pray that he would fill me with wisdom and knowledge to be able to reach out to other people, but I don't see it happening.
The most recent situation was where a friend of mine was feeling down. I wanted to help so badly, but I just didn't know what to say. I was praying that the Holy Spirit would work through me to reach out to this friend. I wanted to be the person God used to guide them, but this didn't happen. I went home feeling sad, and useless. I kept thinking and thinking. I wondered to myself, "When is God ever going to use me?" I was sitting there, and I was ready. I was ready for him to take control and use me to do his work. But, I wasn't seeing anything.
I kept wondering about this, and wondering why God wasn't using me. The more I thought about it, the more I didn't understand. But then, He revealed something to me. He showed me how although I was wanting to help a friend, my desires were actually selfish. The reason why is because I was seeking attention. I wanted people to compliment me for being such a good friend; I wanted people to consider me somebody with extremely wise words. I wasn't seeking God's glory, but my own. As God revealed this to me, I became so ashamed and embarrassed. I even hesitated to write about this on my blog, but I wanted to be honest. I have often struggled with my pride. Ever since I was young, I would seek compliments and attention from my peers. I would like to think I have become more humble, but I know I'm still struggling with my pride.
Proverbs 11:2 says, "Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
I'm praying and praying that the Lord would help me become humble. Being prideful is such an unattractive quality, and the Lord crowns the humble with salvation! I praise the Lord for bringing me to where I am now! In the short time I have gotten to know him, I realize he has taught me so much... He has guided me through everything and he is moulding me right now! As he moulds me, he is unraveling his plan for me. We all have such amazing purposes! We are all of use to God, but we must be patient. Just because we can't see what he's doing, doesn't mean he isn't doing anything! I praise God for giving me such a phenomenal purpose in my life. He has given my life so much meaning!
Thanks for reading my blog!! Here's the song I listened to while writing this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdq9Q8wJdjc
-kjoosaurus out!
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Wisdom of God [4/17/12]
Hello all!
Hope things are going well for everybody! I'm almost done exams! I only have one more left, and it's in a week. I also found out that I MIGHT have another week in Ottawa. It would be so incredible if I were able to spend more time with all of these amazing people. Even though it's only four months, it's going to be hard without you guys, because I love you all like crazy. The people I've met in Ottawa have become a part of my family :)
One of the biggest challenges I've had in my walk with God has been my communication with him. It's so hard for me to believe in something I can't even see or hear. I want to know what his plan is; I want to know everything that is going on, but God doesn't work this way. He's not just going to tell you his plan in the beginning. It's not like he gives us a detailed list of everything that will happen to us in our lives when we are born. So, we must ask him when we are confused and do not understand. He always answers our prayers! It may not be an instant response, and it might not be the response we wish to hear, but he will always answer our prayers.
James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."
There are many times when I have asked God to provide me with the wisdom I need; at times when I struggled, I have asked God to guide me. I ask God what his plan for me is because there are so many times when I don't understand his plan for me... He seems to be working in ways in my life that don't seem to be having any effect, or are having a negative effect, but everything has a purpose. I often catch myself lacking faith; I have little doubts here and there.
Before I came to Ottawa, I had my own plan on how my life would unfold itself. I wanted to get into school in Toronto, and spend all of my time with my extended family. I wanted to attend Ryerson, and live in Toronto. But, God threw away all of my plans, and unraveled a new one. I never ended up getting into Ryerson. I hadn't even tried to get into Carleton because my average grade wasn't high enough, but I still got accepted with a scholarship. I was torn. I hadn't gotten into my first choice, and I didn't really want to go to Carleton because I wasn't sure about what I would do in Ottawa. I didn't know anybody, and I had never visited the city. At this point of my life, I wasn't praying at all. I wasn't reading the bible at all. I didn't think about God at all. But I needed to know why he was pushing me towards Carleton, so I asked him. He then revealed to me why he allowed me to be rejected from Ryerson; if I had gone to Ryerson, I would not have grown in the way I have now. I wouldn't have created beautiful relationships with the people I know now. I might not have been writing this blog!
So, even though what you really want does not always happen, if you trust in God, he will bless you with more than you expected. If you don't understand his plan, then ask him. He will tell you! He will reveal his plan to you! My relationship with Christ continues to grow everyday; I still find myself having doubts, but one day, those doubts will be gone. I continue to ask him when I don't understand, and he reveals things to me. Our God is an awesome God. He is capable of anything. He can move mountains, and with him, we can do anything as well! Let's cast away ALL doubts we may have!
Thank you very very much for reading my blog! Here is the song I listened to while writing this blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y
- kjoosaurus out!
Hope things are going well for everybody! I'm almost done exams! I only have one more left, and it's in a week. I also found out that I MIGHT have another week in Ottawa. It would be so incredible if I were able to spend more time with all of these amazing people. Even though it's only four months, it's going to be hard without you guys, because I love you all like crazy. The people I've met in Ottawa have become a part of my family :)
One of the biggest challenges I've had in my walk with God has been my communication with him. It's so hard for me to believe in something I can't even see or hear. I want to know what his plan is; I want to know everything that is going on, but God doesn't work this way. He's not just going to tell you his plan in the beginning. It's not like he gives us a detailed list of everything that will happen to us in our lives when we are born. So, we must ask him when we are confused and do not understand. He always answers our prayers! It may not be an instant response, and it might not be the response we wish to hear, but he will always answer our prayers.
James 1:5-6 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."
There are many times when I have asked God to provide me with the wisdom I need; at times when I struggled, I have asked God to guide me. I ask God what his plan for me is because there are so many times when I don't understand his plan for me... He seems to be working in ways in my life that don't seem to be having any effect, or are having a negative effect, but everything has a purpose. I often catch myself lacking faith; I have little doubts here and there.
Before I came to Ottawa, I had my own plan on how my life would unfold itself. I wanted to get into school in Toronto, and spend all of my time with my extended family. I wanted to attend Ryerson, and live in Toronto. But, God threw away all of my plans, and unraveled a new one. I never ended up getting into Ryerson. I hadn't even tried to get into Carleton because my average grade wasn't high enough, but I still got accepted with a scholarship. I was torn. I hadn't gotten into my first choice, and I didn't really want to go to Carleton because I wasn't sure about what I would do in Ottawa. I didn't know anybody, and I had never visited the city. At this point of my life, I wasn't praying at all. I wasn't reading the bible at all. I didn't think about God at all. But I needed to know why he was pushing me towards Carleton, so I asked him. He then revealed to me why he allowed me to be rejected from Ryerson; if I had gone to Ryerson, I would not have grown in the way I have now. I wouldn't have created beautiful relationships with the people I know now. I might not have been writing this blog!
So, even though what you really want does not always happen, if you trust in God, he will bless you with more than you expected. If you don't understand his plan, then ask him. He will tell you! He will reveal his plan to you! My relationship with Christ continues to grow everyday; I still find myself having doubts, but one day, those doubts will be gone. I continue to ask him when I don't understand, and he reveals things to me. Our God is an awesome God. He is capable of anything. He can move mountains, and with him, we can do anything as well! Let's cast away ALL doubts we may have!
Thank you very very much for reading my blog! Here is the song I listened to while writing this blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y
- kjoosaurus out!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
He is my Strength [4/16/12]
Hihi!
I have an exam tomorrow morning, so I'm going to make this short! (Just watch, I'll probably write for an hour.) It was funny. Today, I was starting to write the blog about a completely different topic, and I just kept getting this feeling that it wasn't right. I think God wanted me to save that topic for later, and share this topic with you now. The topic for today is how God is my strength!
Something to know about me is that I depend very much on other people; I value my relationships so much. I know I could deal with it if God took all of my relationships away from me, but it would be extremely hard for me. They are what I value most in this world. It's interesting, because God seems to be starting to do this to me now.
You see, I have made a few very close friends in Ottawa, and the most amazing thing is that these relationships have been based on Christ. They all mean so much to me, and I could never appreciate them or love them enough. This year, God provided me with the most beautiful blessings I have ever received. Every single day, I thank him for the precious relationships I've made. I thank him for giving me people who will encourage me, care about me, spend time with me and love me. But, I also know that I rely on them a lot. And, if it so happens, God may choose to take them away.
I recently found out that there is a chance that I may lose them for a while. There is a likely chance that I may not be able to see their faces everyday. The second I discovered this, I was blanketed in sadness. My heart fell, and I honestly felt a bit angry. It felt unfair that I would have to let go of these amazing people even though I hadn't been with them for very long. I didn't understand why he would put me through the unbearable pain. I just could not comprehend why he would take away such important people. But, as I thought about it more and more, I came to realize that I had to trust in him. He has a reason to everything, and I just need to trust that he is still guiding me.
Isaiah 41:10 says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
This verse spoke directly to me. I am very afraid of being apart from people who are so valuable to me, but God is still with me. I am afraid of what will change if I am apart from them, but God has a reason for this and he is molding us! Although I am afraid, I have no reason to be. God is my strength. He is my rock, and he never fails! All I ever need is him, and even though he may take everything away, I will always have him.
That's the beauty of it all. The Lord is my strength. The Lord will never leave me. The Lord is always with me. I think I fall more and more in love with him everyday; I continue to learn so much about him, and it baffles me to realize I could love him even more than I already do. But, it keeps happening! I learn more, and I love more. Isn't it wonderful? To worship him through struggles and challenges, to worship him through blessings and miracles. To worship him everyday from the minute I wake up, to the minute I go to bed. To worship him always!
Thanks for reading my blog today :) I actually didn't listen to a song while writing this post... But there will probably be a song tomorrow! Good luck on all of your exams!
-kjoosaurus out!
Something to know about me is that I depend very much on other people; I value my relationships so much. I know I could deal with it if God took all of my relationships away from me, but it would be extremely hard for me. They are what I value most in this world. It's interesting, because God seems to be starting to do this to me now.
You see, I have made a few very close friends in Ottawa, and the most amazing thing is that these relationships have been based on Christ. They all mean so much to me, and I could never appreciate them or love them enough. This year, God provided me with the most beautiful blessings I have ever received. Every single day, I thank him for the precious relationships I've made. I thank him for giving me people who will encourage me, care about me, spend time with me and love me. But, I also know that I rely on them a lot. And, if it so happens, God may choose to take them away.
I recently found out that there is a chance that I may lose them for a while. There is a likely chance that I may not be able to see their faces everyday. The second I discovered this, I was blanketed in sadness. My heart fell, and I honestly felt a bit angry. It felt unfair that I would have to let go of these amazing people even though I hadn't been with them for very long. I didn't understand why he would put me through the unbearable pain. I just could not comprehend why he would take away such important people. But, as I thought about it more and more, I came to realize that I had to trust in him. He has a reason to everything, and I just need to trust that he is still guiding me.
Isaiah 41:10 says, "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
This verse spoke directly to me. I am very afraid of being apart from people who are so valuable to me, but God is still with me. I am afraid of what will change if I am apart from them, but God has a reason for this and he is molding us! Although I am afraid, I have no reason to be. God is my strength. He is my rock, and he never fails! All I ever need is him, and even though he may take everything away, I will always have him.
That's the beauty of it all. The Lord is my strength. The Lord will never leave me. The Lord is always with me. I think I fall more and more in love with him everyday; I continue to learn so much about him, and it baffles me to realize I could love him even more than I already do. But, it keeps happening! I learn more, and I love more. Isn't it wonderful? To worship him through struggles and challenges, to worship him through blessings and miracles. To worship him everyday from the minute I wake up, to the minute I go to bed. To worship him always!
Thanks for reading my blog today :) I actually didn't listen to a song while writing this post... But there will probably be a song tomorrow! Good luck on all of your exams!
-kjoosaurus out!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Accepted and Loved [4/15/12]
Oh hey there!
I'm blogging at a very odd time for me... I usually blog after midnight, but for once, I'm blogging in the afternoon :) The reason why I'm doing it now is because I just listened to a clip that reminded me of something so crucial and wonderful. Today, I was reminded of how much God really loves me. I wasn't able to attend church today because my stomach started acting up a lot, but I started listening to little clips. While doing so, I stumbled upon this one: http://illbehonest.com/Come-to-Christ-He-is-Mighty-to-Save-Paul-Washer and as soon as I listened to it, I knew I had to write about it. It's only four minutes, so feel free to listen to it before I start talking about it!
The clip speaks about a daughter who leaves her mom to make a better life. The mother knows the daughter will stray, and live a life she doesn't want. So, once her daughter leaves her, she takes all of her money and goes to the city where her daughter is. She goes to a photo booth and uses most of her money to take photos of herself. She then proceeds to go to all hotels, movie theaters, and dance halls in search of her daughter. Everywhere she goes, she leaves a picture of herself. Once she runs out of money, she leaves the city and goes back home.
One day, the daughter, who became a prostitute, is walking down the stairs in a hotel. She looks into a mirror, and notices how she looks so aged. She then notices something in the corner of her eye. She sees a picture of her mother, and she is filled with joy! She turns the picture over, and reads this "I do not care what you have done. I do not care what you have become. Please come home."
When I heard this, I began to tear up. The power of his love is so wonderful. He doesn't care what we have done. He doesn't care who we have become. He just wants us to go to him! We are all sinners. None of us are perfect. We have all done things that fill us with regret; we have been foolish and selfish. But, he still loves and wants us! His love is something that we can't understand. I can't describe his love. I can't even imagine the extent of his love.
Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Isn't this so amazing? I just looked in the thesaurus for synonyms that might help me describe God. We could say God is wonderful, amazing, admirable, astonishing, awesome, brilliant, divine, fabulous, fantastic, magnificent, incredible, marvelous, miraculous, outstanding, phenomenal, remarkable, sensational, stupendous, superb, terrific, tremendous and wondrous. I'm looking at all of these words, and they still aren't enough to describe him. How is it possible that I, being a sinner, am worthy of his love? How could he DIE for me? He loves me. He loves you. He loves us.
Doesn't this make you feel so happy? Because of this, we should praise him all the time. At times, it might seem like God isn't there, or he isn't answering your prayers, but look at what he has done for us! He has loved us in a way we cannot even comprehend. He died on the cross for us, and all of our sins were forgiven! How could we ever stop praising him?
So, let's praise him! Praise him! Praise him!
I'm so grateful that you read my post today. It means so much to me to be able to share about his glory to you all! Here's the song I listened to while writing this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxFyX29pZnI
- kjoosaurus out!
I'm blogging at a very odd time for me... I usually blog after midnight, but for once, I'm blogging in the afternoon :) The reason why I'm doing it now is because I just listened to a clip that reminded me of something so crucial and wonderful. Today, I was reminded of how much God really loves me. I wasn't able to attend church today because my stomach started acting up a lot, but I started listening to little clips. While doing so, I stumbled upon this one: http://illbehonest.com/Come-to-Christ-He-is-Mighty-to-Save-Paul-Washer and as soon as I listened to it, I knew I had to write about it. It's only four minutes, so feel free to listen to it before I start talking about it!
The clip speaks about a daughter who leaves her mom to make a better life. The mother knows the daughter will stray, and live a life she doesn't want. So, once her daughter leaves her, she takes all of her money and goes to the city where her daughter is. She goes to a photo booth and uses most of her money to take photos of herself. She then proceeds to go to all hotels, movie theaters, and dance halls in search of her daughter. Everywhere she goes, she leaves a picture of herself. Once she runs out of money, she leaves the city and goes back home.
One day, the daughter, who became a prostitute, is walking down the stairs in a hotel. She looks into a mirror, and notices how she looks so aged. She then notices something in the corner of her eye. She sees a picture of her mother, and she is filled with joy! She turns the picture over, and reads this "I do not care what you have done. I do not care what you have become. Please come home."
When I heard this, I began to tear up. The power of his love is so wonderful. He doesn't care what we have done. He doesn't care who we have become. He just wants us to go to him! We are all sinners. None of us are perfect. We have all done things that fill us with regret; we have been foolish and selfish. But, he still loves and wants us! His love is something that we can't understand. I can't describe his love. I can't even imagine the extent of his love.
Romans 5:8 says, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Isn't this so amazing? I just looked in the thesaurus for synonyms that might help me describe God. We could say God is wonderful, amazing, admirable, astonishing, awesome, brilliant, divine, fabulous, fantastic, magnificent, incredible, marvelous, miraculous, outstanding, phenomenal, remarkable, sensational, stupendous, superb, terrific, tremendous and wondrous. I'm looking at all of these words, and they still aren't enough to describe him. How is it possible that I, being a sinner, am worthy of his love? How could he DIE for me? He loves me. He loves you. He loves us.
Doesn't this make you feel so happy? Because of this, we should praise him all the time. At times, it might seem like God isn't there, or he isn't answering your prayers, but look at what he has done for us! He has loved us in a way we cannot even comprehend. He died on the cross for us, and all of our sins were forgiven! How could we ever stop praising him?
So, let's praise him! Praise him! Praise him!
I'm so grateful that you read my post today. It means so much to me to be able to share about his glory to you all! Here's the song I listened to while writing this post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxFyX29pZnI
- kjoosaurus out!
Praise Him Always [4/14/12]
Hi guys!
I had a really hard time thinking of what to write today. I'm not sure why, because I learned so much throughout the whole day, but it was probably because there were so many different lessons I learned today. The conversations I had today were filled with lessons and blessings from Christ; they were all extremely meaningful and valuable. I wish I could write about everything I learned today, but with time, I'm sure those will come up in my blog as well.
What I wanted to focus on today was praising God and always looking towards him.
Psalm 34:1 says, "I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."
The reason why I wanted to lift this verse up is because I have come to realize that it can be extremely difficult to praise God at all times. At bible study, a friend of mine spoke about how some Christians are focused on the feelings and emotions. I didn't really understand what he was talking about when he said this, but I think I understand now.
There are Christians who seem to praise God according to their feelings; they will have times when they FEEL like praising God. They will praise God when they are happy and they may stay away from God when they feel sad or rejected. I relate very well with this statement because I am a very emotional person. My actions are largely based on my emotions, and I have struggled a lot in the past with my relationship with God because of my roller coaster ride of emotions. It has been a struggle to continuously love God and praise him all day, everyday.
God has a plan for all of us, but we have no idea what he has in store for us. Because of the mystery behind God's actions, we often praise him when our prayers are answered or when he blesses us. But what about times when he challenges us or "lets" bad things happen to us?
The other day, my younger brother went to the hospital. I was worried. It was extremely out of character for him because he so rarely gets sick. It wasn't that I felt angry with God for letting him get sick... I think I just showed a great lack of faith in him. I didn't trust God at that moment, and I let my human emotions take over and I was filled with so much worry. It wasn't that I felt negatively towards him, but I didn't look towards him, or trust him, in my time of need.
I believe our emotions and challenges should never change the way we look at God. When bad things happen to me, I should always be looking towards God. When good things happen to me, I should always be thanking God and looking towards him. There should never be a time when I'm looking away from him, because no matter what is happening and no matter what I am doing, I should always have him in my mind; he should always be what I am looking towards.
It doesn't matter where I am, who I'm with, or what is going on. I'm going to thrive to praise his name always! I want him to be my everything. I want him to take control of my life and let me live in his name only. Let's praise him always!
Thanks for reading my messy post today :) Here's the song I listened to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOY-eHUsHdM
- kjoosaurus out!
I had a really hard time thinking of what to write today. I'm not sure why, because I learned so much throughout the whole day, but it was probably because there were so many different lessons I learned today. The conversations I had today were filled with lessons and blessings from Christ; they were all extremely meaningful and valuable. I wish I could write about everything I learned today, but with time, I'm sure those will come up in my blog as well.
What I wanted to focus on today was praising God and always looking towards him.
Psalm 34:1 says, "I will praise the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips."
The reason why I wanted to lift this verse up is because I have come to realize that it can be extremely difficult to praise God at all times. At bible study, a friend of mine spoke about how some Christians are focused on the feelings and emotions. I didn't really understand what he was talking about when he said this, but I think I understand now.
There are Christians who seem to praise God according to their feelings; they will have times when they FEEL like praising God. They will praise God when they are happy and they may stay away from God when they feel sad or rejected. I relate very well with this statement because I am a very emotional person. My actions are largely based on my emotions, and I have struggled a lot in the past with my relationship with God because of my roller coaster ride of emotions. It has been a struggle to continuously love God and praise him all day, everyday.
God has a plan for all of us, but we have no idea what he has in store for us. Because of the mystery behind God's actions, we often praise him when our prayers are answered or when he blesses us. But what about times when he challenges us or "lets" bad things happen to us?
The other day, my younger brother went to the hospital. I was worried. It was extremely out of character for him because he so rarely gets sick. It wasn't that I felt angry with God for letting him get sick... I think I just showed a great lack of faith in him. I didn't trust God at that moment, and I let my human emotions take over and I was filled with so much worry. It wasn't that I felt negatively towards him, but I didn't look towards him, or trust him, in my time of need.
I believe our emotions and challenges should never change the way we look at God. When bad things happen to me, I should always be looking towards God. When good things happen to me, I should always be thanking God and looking towards him. There should never be a time when I'm looking away from him, because no matter what is happening and no matter what I am doing, I should always have him in my mind; he should always be what I am looking towards.
It doesn't matter where I am, who I'm with, or what is going on. I'm going to thrive to praise his name always! I want him to be my everything. I want him to take control of my life and let me live in his name only. Let's praise him always!
Thanks for reading my messy post today :) Here's the song I listened to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOY-eHUsHdM
- kjoosaurus out!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Forgiveness [4/12/12]
Ni hao!
To those of you reading this right now, I just wanted to say thank you. It fills me with so much joy to know there are people reading my blog! It's really encouraging, and it motivates me to write more and more! I know I blog a lot about loving others and forgiving others. I'm not sure why, but it seems to be a very important topic in my life right now! I always find myself learning how to love others more and learning how to forgive others. Today, I just wanted to share a parable and a personal story.
The parable I want to talk about today is Matthew 18:23-35. This parable is about an unforgiving debtor. There was a king who came to realize that one of his debtors owed him an enormous amount of money. He ordered the man, his wife, and his children be sold in order to pay for the debt. The man begged for forgiveness and the king decided to forgive him. The man then ran home to find money to pay off his debts; he found that one of his own servants owed him money, and he forced this servant to pay him back. The servant was not able to pay the man back right away, and although the servant pleaded, the man put him into prison until he could pay it back. When the king heard about this, he was furious. He told the man, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" The king then proceeds to send the man to prison until he is able to pay the debt back.
Jesus then says, "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart."
So, I know that was a big clump of writing to read, but I still believe it's important to understand. I personally have been having an extremely hard time forgiving a friend of mine. Things have been tense between the two of us, and I've been having so many negative feelings towards her. For weeks, I've felt nothing but bitterness towards her, and I am so ashamed of this. I read this parable, and I realized I absolutely had to forgive her. It's hard to forgive her because I've been hurt, but the Lord has forgiven me even though I have sinned over and over and over again. If he can forgive me for all the sins I have done, why can't I forgive her?
I want to show her the grace He has shown me, so I'm going to do my very best to forgive her and treat her with love! If you have any bitterness in your heart towards anybody, I pray that you will be able to learn to forgive this person, no matter how challenging it is.
Thank you so much for reading my blog today! Here's the wonderful song I listened to while writing this blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8I3VO19i2w
- kjoosaurus out!
To those of you reading this right now, I just wanted to say thank you. It fills me with so much joy to know there are people reading my blog! It's really encouraging, and it motivates me to write more and more! I know I blog a lot about loving others and forgiving others. I'm not sure why, but it seems to be a very important topic in my life right now! I always find myself learning how to love others more and learning how to forgive others. Today, I just wanted to share a parable and a personal story.
The parable I want to talk about today is Matthew 18:23-35. This parable is about an unforgiving debtor. There was a king who came to realize that one of his debtors owed him an enormous amount of money. He ordered the man, his wife, and his children be sold in order to pay for the debt. The man begged for forgiveness and the king decided to forgive him. The man then ran home to find money to pay off his debts; he found that one of his own servants owed him money, and he forced this servant to pay him back. The servant was not able to pay the man back right away, and although the servant pleaded, the man put him into prison until he could pay it back. When the king heard about this, he was furious. He told the man, "You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn't you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?" The king then proceeds to send the man to prison until he is able to pay the debt back.
Jesus then says, "That's what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart."
So, I know that was a big clump of writing to read, but I still believe it's important to understand. I personally have been having an extremely hard time forgiving a friend of mine. Things have been tense between the two of us, and I've been having so many negative feelings towards her. For weeks, I've felt nothing but bitterness towards her, and I am so ashamed of this. I read this parable, and I realized I absolutely had to forgive her. It's hard to forgive her because I've been hurt, but the Lord has forgiven me even though I have sinned over and over and over again. If he can forgive me for all the sins I have done, why can't I forgive her?
I want to show her the grace He has shown me, so I'm going to do my very best to forgive her and treat her with love! If you have any bitterness in your heart towards anybody, I pray that you will be able to learn to forgive this person, no matter how challenging it is.
Thank you so much for reading my blog today! Here's the wonderful song I listened to while writing this blog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8I3VO19i2w
- kjoosaurus out!
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Special Blessings [4/10/12]
Hello there everybody!
I'm sure a lot of you are stressed from exams right now... I know I am. It's weird. I'm stressed about exams, but I still can't bring myself to study anything! For some reason, I no longer have a strong desire to get extremely good marks. Anyways, today's blog won't be very long because I'm pretty exhausted, but I wanted to talk about some blessings God has given me.
I personally value relationships a lot. I'm an extremely social person, and I'm the happiest when I'm surrounded by a lot of people. I love going out with my friends, meeting new people and spending quality time with the people I love. But this year, God blessed me with even more amazing people. Every relationship I have had in the past was so extremely special to me. I learned so much from all of the different people I've met, and many people have helped me grow. But this year, God blessed me with a new kind of relationship. He blessed me with relationships that were deeply rooted in Christ, and for this I am so grateful.
Before God blessed me this year, I never knew what it was like to have a relationship with somebody that was based on Christ. There was nobody who I could talk to about Christ everyday. I always felt like people didn't care, or just didn't have anything to say when I brought up Jesus. Therefore, I didn't talk about Him much, and because I didn't talk about Him, I didn't think about Him. I believe this had an impact on my relationship with God. I was struggling so much with reading the bible and praying; I always forgot and it wasn't a priority for me.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
This verse perfectly describes many of the relationships I've created. Through almost every struggle I went through, I had somebody who encouraged me through it. Every time I was about to fall, I had somebody pick me up and motivate me. By loving me, I was encouraged to love others. God used my friendships to help me grow; He used my friends to encourage and love me. I can't get over how blessed I feel to be able to experience it. This verse also encourages me to be this person to others. I want to be somebody who is always encouraging others. I want to be somebody who is always loving others. I want to be somebody who is always motivating others.
Thanks for reading this post. :) I really wanted to take time to thank God for blessing me. I could never display all the gratitude I feel for how He has blessed me! The song I listened to today was actually what inspired me to write this. It made me realize that God has provided special relationships for us to remind us that we are not alone; He puts people in our life that we need to love, cherish and encourage.
Jars of Clay - Shelter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcgj-Jbl2RY
P.S. I'm sorry I wrote so much. I didn't think I would because I was so tired, but I ended up writing for an hour. Hehehe.
P.P.S. I changed the commenting settings, so it should be easier to post now! I think I changed it to anybody can post or something. I don't know. Give it a try if you would like! :)
- kjoosaurus out!
I'm sure a lot of you are stressed from exams right now... I know I am. It's weird. I'm stressed about exams, but I still can't bring myself to study anything! For some reason, I no longer have a strong desire to get extremely good marks. Anyways, today's blog won't be very long because I'm pretty exhausted, but I wanted to talk about some blessings God has given me.
I personally value relationships a lot. I'm an extremely social person, and I'm the happiest when I'm surrounded by a lot of people. I love going out with my friends, meeting new people and spending quality time with the people I love. But this year, God blessed me with even more amazing people. Every relationship I have had in the past was so extremely special to me. I learned so much from all of the different people I've met, and many people have helped me grow. But this year, God blessed me with a new kind of relationship. He blessed me with relationships that were deeply rooted in Christ, and for this I am so grateful.
Before God blessed me this year, I never knew what it was like to have a relationship with somebody that was based on Christ. There was nobody who I could talk to about Christ everyday. I always felt like people didn't care, or just didn't have anything to say when I brought up Jesus. Therefore, I didn't talk about Him much, and because I didn't talk about Him, I didn't think about Him. I believe this had an impact on my relationship with God. I was struggling so much with reading the bible and praying; I always forgot and it wasn't a priority for me.
Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."
This verse perfectly describes many of the relationships I've created. Through almost every struggle I went through, I had somebody who encouraged me through it. Every time I was about to fall, I had somebody pick me up and motivate me. By loving me, I was encouraged to love others. God used my friendships to help me grow; He used my friends to encourage and love me. I can't get over how blessed I feel to be able to experience it. This verse also encourages me to be this person to others. I want to be somebody who is always encouraging others. I want to be somebody who is always loving others. I want to be somebody who is always motivating others.
Thanks for reading this post. :) I really wanted to take time to thank God for blessing me. I could never display all the gratitude I feel for how He has blessed me! The song I listened to today was actually what inspired me to write this. It made me realize that God has provided special relationships for us to remind us that we are not alone; He puts people in our life that we need to love, cherish and encourage.
Jars of Clay - Shelter: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcgj-Jbl2RY
P.S. I'm sorry I wrote so much. I didn't think I would because I was so tired, but I ended up writing for an hour. Hehehe.
P.P.S. I changed the commenting settings, so it should be easier to post now! I think I changed it to anybody can post or something. I don't know. Give it a try if you would like! :)
- kjoosaurus out!
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