Your Birth Matters

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Good morning!

Hopefully all is well, thought I'd share a thought today for you, hopefully God's word can encourage you. I havn't gotten this far in reading the Psalms yet, well I havn't read for a while. I guess it comes and gose at times.

Psalms 139 has been pondering me for abit and it talks about how God knows us every inch of us, from our thoughts to our speach to our actions and who we are as a person, how we are important to Him and the purpose that God has for us.

This verse is a common verse that we may of herd that I kinda want to touch on because it feels like too many people just take it for granted. 

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalms 139:13‭-‬16 NLT

As this week is coming up I guess I turn the big 30! And I think wow I'm old! Others probably disagree which is ok too! But dispite any age I've herd this from people. It's not just about birthdays, but even other holidays and occasions that come around "it's just a day" I cringe when people say that because it's more than just a day. It's a day that comes once a year to celebrate. Others days come and go and we often are busy running around 7 days a week without even thinking to take time to do something. Holidays and occasions are there for a reason, to slow down and take those moments when you can't any other day. 

Reason they call it a birthday is because it's the day of your birth. It's a day that God made time for you to be born because even though He knows we are aren't gonna do everything perfect, that we're gonna probably mess up something along the way in life, He knows there is a purpose and reason for you to be here. God wants to celebrate that with you. He knit you together in your mother's womb and was was delicate with you. 

God dosn't approve of something or someone that He dosn't love. So when an occasion, gathering, birthday, holiday other than Halloween possibly – I guess I kinda poke fun at that one, but when those opportunities come embrace it! Don't just think of it as "just a day" If we don't make time we'll never take time. That's what makes those moments extra special than just an ordinary day. It's not being selfish, it's taking time that God set aside for you and others to celebrate with Him.

We can still carry out the good times every day indeed and make good memories along the way for sure, just don't push aside the important ones that come once a year in your life tyourhat God made for you and Him in that moment .

 

Expect the Unexpected?

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It's a New Year, we hope to have a great start. I hope so, sometimes I have my doubts and emotions of things in life that come up. 2018 was kinda rough emotionally for me, but I hope I can draw closer to God and grow stronger in Christ so I can help and inspire people with God's word.

I was reading in Psalms today, always a good place to start off if your not sure where. Instead of doing a Psalm a day I thought I would read afew chapters a day until I get into some that are quite long like 119 as I hope to get that far and beyond. I have a tendency to procrastinate. I'm sure if it was a class I would maybe get an A in it.

Anyway I remembered something my youth leader /mentor/best friend told me about reading the Bible. He said keep reading until something sparks your attention. I read Psalms Chapters 1-5 and it was in chpt. 5:1-3 that caught my attention today.

O Lord , hear me as I pray; pay attention to my groaning. Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for I pray to no one but you. Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord . Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

Psalms 5:1‭-‬3 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/psa.5.1-3.NLT

We often cry out to God and send our prayers to Him hoping He's herd us and will answer, He's got it under control so just trust God. Which is very true! We must do that for sure, also expect God to answer. Sometimes we think it might be selfish of us to be expectful, but God wants us to expect results. Just like when we do or go for a test, or ask we expect results, we expect an answer. I hate not knowing things myself in what's going on around me in my world with my family, friends, youth group and sometimes things at work things I'm involved in and part of. 

Sometimes we may know or have a feeling what to expect, but sometimes we get an unexpected result/answer as well. God loves us and dosn't want to leave us hanging and unknowing when we ask Him things. 

I leave you with this, be eager, be wondering persistent with things you share with God. Be hungry! 

 

 

A Leap of Faith

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A Leap of Faith

Faith- Reliance, loyalty, or complete trust in God; A system of religious beliefs

Imagine jumping off of something and landing or at least hoping to land onto the next thing your jumping to whether in reality or digitally. As some of you may know I’m a gamer, when I was playing Tomb Raider or other video games that may involve jumping to obstacles, you try and make sure you can get there. A cool thought dawned when I jump from one cliff or wall ect. to another you could either live or die in the game. The anticipation in your nerves are there to obviously make it! In a video game you get many second chances to try again and again.

One time I was at Camp Chief Hector on a field trip and we had to try out some obstacles and do some simple trust activities where you fall back for everyone to catch you and such. There was one if you wanted to jump across from a large pole/platform to reach this bar that was hanging. I fell short though and missed by a foot maybe. I didn't move my legs quite enough to push myself off the platform. My harness, praise God caught me and the people carefully lowered me down.

“Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

Matthew 14:29‭-‬31 NLT

When I was up there I was nervous, apart of me wasn't sure if I can do it, but the adventurous risky side of me really wanted to try to prove to myself and a little bit to others that I can. Not too many wanted to try it anyway. 

Q: What kinds of things rolled into my mind and Peter’s mind after abit?       

A: Doubt, worry maybe, not a lot of trust, didn’t keep the eye on the prize/goal

God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

Ephesians 2:8 NLT

God is like that with us, when we take a leap of faith to trust in Him He got us. Sometimes well a lot of the time we fall short at different times in life, but He still got us. He catches us when we fall, we call on Him and He picks us up. We don't deserve his grace when we feel or know we’ve messed up, but God wants us to know and believe that He has us, He keeps us safe, He got our back and sometimes sends people to support us on what is right. 

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.

Romans 3:22 NLT

Faith shows the reality of what we hope for; it is the evidence of things we cannot see.

Hebrews 11:1 NLT

When we put our faith in Jesus He will help us through. He doesn't pick or choose who deserves it or not. He gives all of us as many second chances to make things right with Him. My leader back in the day told me that, to give as many second chances as you can. That leads into forgiveness, but also having faith in Jesus that He will make things new in your life.