Rebolutionary

Dear Readers,
     Lately I've been reading the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris. It has really encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and follow God's plan for me instead of just doing what God wants when it is only a little hard. I was to help change the world, as I shared that with you at the beginning of this blog, but since we live in a culture where there are so many low expectations, my serving twice a week at church seemed pretty good. I serve at my church quite frequently because helping children is one of my gifts. But, I have over the last year felt God prompting me to do something bigger. Because of today's culture, I have a lot of people telling me that I just need to wait until I am out of high school, until I have graduated from college to do anything big and world changing, but after reading the book, "Do Hard Things", I have received the encouragement I needed to step out and make a difference. I urge, encourage, invite, hope, and pray that you read this book too for it an outstanding book.
     In order to really get started on this project, they gave me five steps in this books to follow:

• Identify what you need to get honest with and with who.
• Decided what negative actions or patterns need to end.
• Recognized which people could best help you get from position A to B and made a plan to get connected with those people.
• Figured out one or two key action steps that, once taken, will make it a lot tougher to back out and decide when and how you will take your steps.
• Acknowledge that you can't succeed without God's help, so made a practical plan to stay close to Him.

1. I'll get honest with you guys as well as with my family. I have felt this ambition for a long time; it probably started when I was ten. I started to take action in the middle of this year. The plan was to raise money to support my cousin who works in Bolivia with Word Made Flesh, an organization helping women that work in prostitution.  My heart really went out to those women, but once the plan started, the job suddenly did not seem so fun. After all, I would not be able to actually work with those people, all I would be doing would be asking people for money and fundraising, which is NOT something I enjoy doing. I told a few people and then chickened out. I backed off and convinced myself I would get to this project next year.
2. I need to stop making excuses. The problem with me is that I sin more mentally than I do physically, which makes it harder for other people to correct me. I think bad things in my brain, make excuses, argue, and fight, but because it is all mental, no one else can really help me. It is not like people can read my mind and say, "Oh, remember, you are not suppose to be focusing on those things." I convince myself that certain things are okay; I lie to myself. So, from now on, I am going to write scriptures on my hands or arms so that when I am dwelling on the negative, I can read the scriptures on me and focus on the truth.
3. Hannah, my sister and my mom I am pretty sure are going to be my more dependable people. The rest of my friends will probably like the idea, but I am not sure how long they will go with it. I shall talk with my sister and mom today and I will talk with Hannah the first week in January if not sooner.
4. I am posting this to you all and I want you to all keep me accountable for sticking to this. I am also planning on talking to my family and having them keep me accountable too, maybe even my Facebook friends.
5. There is NO way I could possibly ever do this without God's help. I always read my devotions in the morning and try and connect with God. I do need to pray more, so that is a habit I need to form to get closer to God.

     So, that is that. Now before all this, I probably should have decided what I am going to do... Yes, well the problem is I have so many things I want to do. There are so many people I want to help.

     People that are abused, handicapped, homeless, sick children in hospitals, stopping abortion, stopping bullying, supporting other missionaries, helping orphans... I have so many thoughts I'm not sure what to do with them all. I'm sort-of discombobulated. I'm not really sure where to start and how to begin. I suppose by brainstorming with my friends and family. Please comment what your input would be too.

~Daughter of the Light

JOY

     This week's theme is JOY! The second fruit of the spirit. Considering it is Christmas, one would think that having joy would be easy, but for a lot of people, Christmas is the hardest time of the year. It may represent a time that use to be joyful, but now you have no one to share it with, so you are all alone. I have to tell you something about joy though. Joy is choosing to be happy even when things do not go your own way. If you can have joy when life is perfect, that is not really impressive. But, despite what life throws at you, if you can find joy in hard and troublesome times, other people will see that and admire you. That is what I want people to see in me. I want them to see that I have difficulties just like everyone else, but I have still chosen to have joy.

     It is hard to have joy when things go wrong. It would be like this:

            You were told you were going to be given a hot-chocolate with extra marshmallows. You take the cup and drink. Your taste-buds scream at you that that is not hot chocolate at all but rather chicken gravy. EW! That is absolutely disgusting, but can you have joy even when you got something gross and unexpected? I know! It is not easy, but having joy even when thinks do not go my way is what I am going to work on this week, and I encourage you to do the same. This Christmas break, if your plans do not go really like you wanted them to, or you are missing someone you use to spend Christmas with, I encourage you to try your best to find joy even in those rough situations. God bless you and I hope you have a fabulous Christmas break.

~Daughter of the Light

The Egyptians against God

     Exodus 14:23-25; The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt."

     I find it fascinating that even the Egyptians could see what was going on and they knew and feared God. They realized what they had gotten themselves into and regretted it. I do not want to be like that. I do not want to be all cocky and think I have everything under control. God always knows best, and he will take care of me. He will protect me from my enemies. I shall put my trust in him.

~Daughter of the Light

He did not Speak

     Luke 23:8-11; When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 
     When Jesus was mocked and accused, he did not say anything. He had ultimate power. He could have wiped them all out, but he obeyed his father and did not. He did not even try to correct those who spoke against him.
     Man, I correct and interrupt people just when their grammar is not right. I am pretty sure, if I was in Jesus' place, I would not have been wise enough to just sit there and let God take care of and play everything out like it needed to be done.
      Dear Jesus,
         I pray that you would please teach me to be wise with my words. Please forgive me for overreacting and putting my foot in my mouth. I do not want to say anything that is not pleasing to you. Give me the strength and courage I need to do your will and not get overly angry like I often do.
In Jesus name,
Amen

~Daughter of the Light

Why the Plagues?

     Why did God have to kill so many Egyptians with the plagues? Why could he not have just softened Pharaoh's hear instead of making it hard?
    I would often wonder when I read the story of Moses why it was that God would harden Pharaoh's heart. Exodus 7:3-4; But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you.  Exodus 9:12; But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses. As I read my devotions today, Exodus 8:18-19 stood out to me: But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not.  Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.”
     If God had softened Pharaoh's heart and had just let the Israelites go, no one would have really known it was God who had freed his people. If Moses had gone up to Pharaoh and told him God wanted him to let his people go, and Pharaoh had said yes, that would not have been really impressive. God wanted the Egyptians, the Israelites, and anyone that heard the story would understand God's great power and believe. I always find it so wonderful that the magicians could make frogs and snakes with Satanic powers, but God's were always better and over the magicians'.
     As I make and effort to trust God, because he is so much greater than I am, I encourage you to do the same thing. Leslie Ludy put this idea in a really good was. She said we need to give God the pen to write the story of our life. Sometimes we will take that pen away from him and tell him 'Oh, I got it from here.' But the truth is we need to be able to give the pen back and leave it in his hands, because he knows and wants the best for us, more than we do for our own selves.

~Daughter of the Light

Fruit of the Spirit

     Dear Readers,
         I have decided to set out on a mission. For a few months I am going to practice living out the fruit of the Spirit. Rather than just saying, I'm going to try to do all nine at once, I am going to do one a week. Galatians 5:22-23; The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. For a week I am going to try extra hard to be loving and then the following week I will try to be extra joyful and positive. The week after that I will work on not[peace, then patience and so on and so forth. I invite you to join me in this attempt to be a better you, and I ask you to help me. If I ever say anything not loving, not joyous, not peaceful, not patient, not kind, not good, not faithful to being a child of God, not gentle, and not self-controlling, by all means, say something. Reprimand me, encourage me to do better, please. I need God's help and I also need you help. I will also pray for you.

~Daughter of the Light

Little Things

     Luke 16:10; Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. The little things matter. I use to think that when things were small, they was not important. But the truth is, the little things are given to us to train us for the big things. I tend to think, 'Hit me with your best shot. Whatever you throw at me, I will find a way to make it work.' (that has always been my motto: Make things work) But God has been changing my heart. He has been whispering in my ear, 'The little things matter too. Do them to your best ability and then I will give you more. Be patient.'

     Luke 14:28-32; Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn't able to finish.’ 31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 
     Often I think to myself, if I have faith, it will happen. I feel like, if I trust God, I should be able to fly to Africa or China and start helping the people there. I would help and tell them about God. My intentions may be great, and I may have faith, but I am not using wisdom. God has not told be or my family, "Kelsey needs to go to another country or continent to work with people in need." I need to trust God in what he is doing right now in my life instead of thinking that in order to make a difference I need to go somewhere else. It is the little things that I do now, here where God has already planted me, that count. God put me where I am for a reason, whether I like it or not. I need to trust that he knows what he is doing.

~Daughter of the Light

God had a Plan for Joseph

     Genesis 37+ 29-50. When Joseph was young, he had dreams of his family bowing down before him. His ten brothers all hated him and sold him into slavery. He, nevertheless, loved and obeyed God. He was sold as a slave to a man named Potiphar. Potiphar found that Joseph was trustworthy, and made him in charge of nearly everything he had.  39:5; From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field.God bless Potiphar because of Joseph. Then, Potiphar's wife pestered Joseph day after day trying to get him to sleep with her, but he refused, for he was a righteous man. Potipar's wife, angry that she could not get her way, lied and had Joseph  thrown in prison, although he was innocent.
     Joseph stayed in prison for years. It would have been easy for him to be angry at God, but  he continued to trust God. Because of that, God blessed him. Genesis 39:21-23; The Lord was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. In prison, some men told him their dreams, and God gave him the power to interpret the dreams. The interpretations came true, exactly like Joseph had said. 
     Pharaoh had two dreams many years later, and Joseph was called upon to interpret it. God told Joseph what the dreams meant. For seven years Egypt would prosper and there would be a famine all over for the following seven years. Genesis 41:41; So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.”  Joseph was blessed because even through hard times he followed and trusted God. He waited for God's perfect timing. Later during the seven years of famine, Joseph's brothers that had sold him into slavery came to Egypt for food, since Joseph had had food stored up during the seven years that Egypt had been prosperous. Joseph was able to save him whole family from starvation because he had followed God. God also gave him the power to forgive his brothers for what they had done to him when he was younger, and he did forgive them. Genesis 50:19-21; Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

     I have certainly not been through anything like Joseph went through. I was not born into a family full of children from one dad and four women. I was not hated by my half siblings and sold into slavery. After working hard and proving myself trustworthy, I have never been thrown in prison.Yet, after he endured all of this, Joseph stuck to what God told him. This is such an amazing story because it proves that even through our hard times, God will never abandon us. Even in our hard times, if we do not abandon God, he will bless us and keep us safe. That does not mean that bad things do not  happen. They do. Just like I told you about my grandpa.  He worked really hard, but bad things happened. Yet, it was because of those bad things that good happened. Those bad things ended up saving his life. The bad that happened to Joseph not only saved his life, but his entire family. I know it is hard, but if you put your trust in Jesus Christ, and follow his word to the best of your ability, it will be the best decision you will ever make in your life.

~Daughter of the Light

The 1st will be Last and the Last will be 1st

     Luke 13:30; Indeed, those who are last will be first, and first will be last. When I was little, I remember really having a problem with this verse. I felt like it was saying those who did not work hard got to be first and those that put a lot of effort into being successful had to be last. It did not seem right to me that if I ran really fast, faster than anyone else in the class, and I got to the front of the line first, why should I be sent to the back? I worked harder than the others to get there, and yet the people who did not really care about leading the line and were the last got sent to the front to do it. I remember really hating that.
    Now that I am older, I understand better. It had to do with pride and humility. Those that were the proudest would be humbled and those who were humbled would be exalted. I was racing to the front because I wanted to be the best. It was not that I was "working hard" and they were being lazy, it was that I was being prideful and they were being humble.
     I try not to do silly prideful things like that anymore, but pride is something I struggle with more than a lot of other things. When I pray for God to humble me, I will also pray for you that God will help you with whatever it is you struggle with. Be careful if you too have issues with pride, because if you ask him to humble you, he really will. My pride has gotten me in trouble before, so I am very eager to get rid of it. Please pray for me as I pray for you. If first we can fix our mistakes and pray for others to have the strength to fix their mistakes too, then we can change the world.

~Daughter of the Light

Let the Holy Spirit Talk

     Luke 12:11-12; When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.  

     How wonderful it would be if the Holy Spirit said everything for us! There would be no fighting or quarreling. I would not have to worry about putting my foot in my mouth, but then we would not have a choice to say what we want. God gave us that choice. I am grateful for that choice, but when God wants to put words in my mouth when I am speaking to important people, he can go right ahead. I will not stop him. He knows so much better than I do. He would be so much more convincing than I would. He is perfect, and I am not. That is why he is God, and I am not.

~Daughter of the Light

Don't Worry

My favorite verses in the Bible:        
Luke 12:22-34;

"Do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

"Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

"Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

~Daughter of the Light

Love your Neighbor

     Luke 10:27; Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself. By loving our neighbors with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, we are also loving God. When we show loving to those he loves, it pleases him. And who is your neighbor, you may ask. Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan which basically said that everyone is your neighbor, not just the people living next door to you.
     Now, you may say, 'I don't love myself, therefore, I am not entitled to loving anyone else.' If that is the case, let me say, I will be praying for you. I use to be at that stage where I hated myself. I would think about all my mistakes and problems, and I would fill my head and heart with lies. After a while though, I thought of it this way:
          Life is a gift that God has given us. By insulting ourselves, we are insulting God's gift. By not taking care of our bodies, because we do not care, is abusing the gift God gave us. Our bodies our God's temple, how much more should we take care of them than anything else? Please, even if you hate yourself, love and cherish yourself for the sake of loving God. And love and cherish your neighbor, because no matter what they have or have not done to you, God has put them in your life for a reason. He does not make mistakes. Trust in him, Follow him, Obey him, and he will surely bless you.

~Daughter of the Light

Trusting God

     Genesis 22:1-18. Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. 

2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

3 Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. 4 On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. 5 He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”

6 Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, 7 Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”

“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.

“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”

8 Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.

9 When they reached the place God had told him about,Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

12 “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”

13 Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”

15 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”

  God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son, and Abraham trusted God so much that he obeyed. He was going to kill his son, but an angel stopped him. That would be so hard for me to do. If God told me to kill my child I am not sure I would do it. But so great was Abraham's trust in God that it did not matter what the task was, he would do what God asked. I am going to work on building up my trust with God. After all, he created and saved my life. I owe him everything. What should I not trust him with?

~Daughter of the Light

God in Us

     Genesis 21:22; God is with you in everything you do. Oh how I want to be like that! So full of God that people can see it. I want people to be able to see my light shining. I have been trying more and more to be like this. I make an effort to use my gifts for the glory of God.

     Luke 8:16; No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Loving Enemies and Not Being Judgmental

     Luke 6:27-28+31+33-35; Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love you enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High.
     This is hard. I personally have never had someone abused me, but I know people who have. When you choose to forgive, it is a beautiful thing. I think the reason Jesus told us to forgive those who have done us wrong is because when we make that choice to let the anger and hate go, we are changed for the better. It hurts us to keep grudges. God did not want us to have that on our mind.
     Luke 6:37; Do not judge, and you will not be judged. This scripture is really big to me because I and a lot of my friends constantly worry about people judging us. We are afraid of what others think. But the truth is, if we would work on not judging others, we would not have to worry about it. First, we need to fix our own problems of being judgmental. Luke 6:41+45; Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 45 The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.  Before I judge or try to fix others,  I need to look at my own heart and see if it is focusing on what is pure, noble, and true. It is difficult to be honest and noble in a world where most people are not, but God is the judge. When judgement day comes, he will not look at the other people around me, but only at my heart. He will look at what I said and did. He will not say, "Well, that person provoked you to do wrong, so I guess that is not your fault." It is up to me to be the best me. I cannot change everyone else, but I can change myself. So, I will work on forgiving, thinking noble thoughts, and not being judgmental.

~Daughter of the Light

Be a Wise Friend

     Luke 5:17-20; One day Jesus was teaching, and Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there. They had come from every village if Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick. 18 Some men came carrying a paralyzed man on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19 When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 20 When Jesus saw their faith, he said, "Friends, your sins are forgiven."
     When I read this passage, the first thought that came to my mind was, I want friends like that. Friends that would be that determined to have me healed when I am sick. I thought about how I should surround myself with the kind of people that would care about me like that. Then, I realized how wrong I was to think this. I saw how selfish I sounded. I should have read that passage and said, 'That is the kind of friend I should be.' I want to be the friend that would say, 'There has got to be another way we can get you to see Jesus.' I want to be the friend that will not give up, but presses on. I hope you feel the same way. In order for us to succeed in becoming this kind of a friend though, we need to ask God to fill our hearts with virtuous thoughts and innocent intentions. We need to ask him for wisdom. I do not know about you, but I do not consider myself very wise. I mess up way too often, and I need his help to keep me on the right path.
     Dear Jesus,
        I thank you for you word that shows us how to live, but I am so foolish, I need your help to follow on your path. Please give me wisdom to know what to do and say. Also I ask that you would bless my readers with wisdom and courage to be able to accomplish what it is that you want for them.                  In Jesus name,

Amen                                                              

~Daughter of the Light

Jesus the Superhero

    Luke 4: 28-30; All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
     Luke 5:22; Jesus knew what they were thinking...
     Jesus can quote the future, he can walk on water, he can he the blind, lame, and sick, he can raise the dead to life, he can transport (he transported from one side of the mountain to the other), he can read people's mind, and he can walk through people. He is like one, amazing superhero. Why is it that I do not always trust that he has the best plan for me? It must be that I am impatient. I want to do really big things, but he is telling me, 'No, start with the little things. The little things are important too.' What I really need to do is to just trust and wait for what he has in store for me. I need to trust and wait for his perfect timing. I need to ask him to help me not be afraid. He walked through an angry mob. (like, they literally could not touch him) Surely he could give me some advice and encouragement on how to be brave and patient. I only have to humbly come before him and ask. You only have to do the same thing. Just ask, and you will receive.

~Daughter of the Light 

Testing God

     Luke 4:9-12; The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:

"He will command his angels concerning you

to guard you carefully;

11 they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone."

   12 Jesus answered, "It is said: "Do not put the Lord your God to the test." 
     When I was younger, my friends and I would try to move mountains by talking to them and attempt to walk on water. We thought that is we had the faith of a mustard seed, those things would work, but they did not. We concluded that we had even smaller faith. I now think that those things did not work because we were testing God. We wanted to see if it would happen or not. We had no real reason for it to be done other than to be cool and impress others. Our motives were wrong.
     I hope that you are smarter than me and do not try to test God by jumping off a roof to see if he will make you fly or any of those crazy things. Do not test the Lord your God. Just trust that in his perfect timing, everything will work out right.

~Daughter of the Light

Would I stand out from the Crowd?

     Now, I know that God promised to never flood the earth again, and he always keeps his promises, but...  If the earth was going to be flooded again, would I stand out to God as someone worth saving?
     Genesis 7:23; Every living thing on the face of the earth was wiped out; men and animals and the creatures that moved along the ground and the birds of the air were wiped from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those with him in the ark. Noah was a righteous man, and he loved God very much. He was willing to look like a fool and get teased over and over by those he love for the sake of obeying God. He built an ark, exactly the way God told him to, and took care of all those creatures. He was responsible with what he was given.
     Am I responsible like that? If God told me to do something that seemed ridiculous like that, would I do it? Noah lived in the desert. It was not like he had a house by the lake and was nonchalantly building a boat. He was building an ark large enough to fit more than one of every kind of creature (other than those under the sea) inside of it. He had to fit enough food to keep them all healthy and alive. That was a big task. And he succeeded in accomplishing it as God told him to.
     Would I? Would you? God with give us all a task to carry out. It bothers me when people say, "God will not give you more than you can handle." Because the truth is, he will. He gives us more than we can handle so that we will call out to him for help, and he will be able to rescue us and prove to us his awesome power. If we were able to do everything by ourselves, we would become prideful, arrogant people, and God loves a humble spirit and a contrite heart. He wants us to ask for help and trust that he will in fact help us.
     Whatever it is you may be going through, call out to God and tell him you need help. One of the three hardest things to say is, "Help me." Trust that the maker of the earth will take care of his child. Have faith, and believe, and he will amaze you far beyond what you could ever ask for or need.

~Daughter of the Light

God is Bigger than the Law

     Luke 2:39; When Joseph and Mary had done everything required of the law of the lord, they returned to Galilee to there own town Nazareth. Mary and Joseph obeyed the law by going to the temple with their new baby, Jesus. Because they followed the rules that their ruler gave them, promises that God had made came true. Simeon was promised that he would be able to see Jesus, and he was. Many people now a days think that we do not have to obey our leaders. When the king, queen, or president does not do what they believe is right, they feel that that gives them the right to disobey. But God is above all in this world. He knows what is going on. He does not look down on the earth on election day and say, "No, wait, I didn't want that guy to be president. Darn it. What am I going to do now?" God does not say that. He knows all that will ever happen. Nothing will ever surprise him. He had always been in charge of everything and is in charge of all still. The law does not get in his way. Mary and Joseph obeyed the law, which was that they would have to go to the temple. Because they went to the temple, Simeon saw Christ as God had promised him. It is not wrong to obey the law, as long as it does not ask up to disobey God. I encourage you, even if you do not like your ruler, to obey your authorities that God has placed over you in your life.

~Daughter of the Light

Hot, Cold, and Opening the Door

     Revelation 3:15-16; I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm -neither hot nor cold- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  Knowing whether I am on fire for God or just lukewarm has always been something I have struggled with. I feel that since I am a teenager, I cannot really do anything. I serve at church every Sunday and Wednesday. I try to live up to my title as being a Christian, but I feel like it is not good enough. I certainly do not want to get spat out of God's mouth. I want to please him. I try to be different than my peers, but I feel like I have this calling to travel far away and preach the gospel. How can I as a teenager do that though? I was talking with my mother about this. I was waking her why it was that people assumed that in order to do anything great, you had to go to school and then college. (not that I have anything wrong with school or college. In fact, I have known what college I am going to go to since I was in eighth grade) My mom asked me this. "Was Jesus on fire for God." I answered yes. "Jesus did not do any miracles until he was thirty. After Joseph died, he had the responsibility as the oldest son to take care of the family. He did that until he was thirty which -according to their tradition- was when the son could be released of his responsibilities. Jesus went through school and took care of his family, and then he went around preaching the gospel." This made me feel a lot better. I can be on fire for God without abandoning my family and traveling around the world. The people around me that I see everyday need to here the gospel, so why go around the world when those that are right here need help?
     Revelations 3:20; Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.  Jesus is just waiting at the door to people's hearts. He is a gentleman, so he will not barge in. He patiently waits for the door to be opened. Once it is opened, he will come in and comfort, strengthen, and give peace to that person, but he needs you to say yes first. What will you say to him?

~Daughter of the Light

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

     Revelation 3:7-8; What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.  God knows that we have sinned and fallen short of his Glory, but he still gives us the chance to repent and turn back to him. He still has a plan for us. He is just waiting for us to say, "Okay God, you take hold of my life. Tell me what your plan is for me and I will obey." He is our perfect father. He loves us more than anything else. He sees when we stumble, but he does not turn away and reject us when we do. NO, he waits there with arms open wide for us to run back to him. Since he is the perfect father, would he plan something bad for us? No. In fact, when other people mess life up, God turns the bad into good. It does not always seem like it at the time, but he does. He opens a door in our lives.  Other people may try to close it, but they cannot. Only he can close it, and that will be in his own, perfect timing.
     To give an example of when something went wrong but God turned it out for good, I will tell you a story about my grandfather. This is a true story, and it has often helped me get through whatever I was having trouble with. I hope it helps you.
     My grandfather was in the military. He was good at what he did. Really good. He was the best in his platoon. He had metals and won awards. He was at the top, and people respected him. Then, his platoon was going to be sent to a different location, when... he got sick. Very sick. He was so ill that he could not go with his group. So, they stripped away all his metals, all his awards and gave them to the next best man. My grandfather sat there in his bed, furious at God. He had worked so hard to get all of that, only to have it ripped away from him because he got sick. How was that God's will? Why would God do that to him? Well, when he got better, he was put in a different group. Of course he did not get any of his metals back, it was like he had to start all over. And, he did not find out toll way later in his life how wonderful it was for him to have gotten ill. He found out way later that his platoon that had been moved was sent off to war, and every single man in that platoon was killed. Why it was that God allowed all those men to die and had my grandfather survive, I don't know. Maybe it was so that I -his granddaughter- could tell you this story, of how God is looking after us in ways that we have no idea. It could be something very small, like locking your keys in your car and making you be late for something you had really been looking forward to. You may be mad at God for that. But have you ever wondered if there was more to it than that you locked your keys in your car? Maybe, if you had not locked your keys in the car, if you had driven out of that driveway and onto the highway at that time, you would have gotten in a car wreck. Instead, God made you wait until it was safe for you to drive.
     You may think that this is crazy, but I believe in a supernatural power. I believe that God could and has turned things that were bad into good. Maybe what you are going through is bigger than locking your keys in your car. Maybe, someone very close to you just died. How was that God's will? Why do bad things happen to good people?  Let me tell you this. My grandfather did not find out for a while why all that happened to him, and maybe you will never find out why bad things have happened to you, but God is asking you to trust him.  Will you put your trust in someone who loves you so much? Someone who created you for great things. You are never too far away to come back to him. The door is still open for you. God is just waiting there with an open door. He is calling, waiting for you to come back to him. What will your answer be?

~Daughter of the Light 

You are Alive for a Purpose

     1 John 4:16; Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Why do I encourage you to obey God by loving others? 2 John 1:3; Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, will be with us in truth and love.  God loves his children and will protect and provide for them. Yes, we still endure hardships, but we have God with us to get us through. I feel bad for those who go through distressing times and do not have God with them. I wish I could just go to everyone of those people, give them a hug, and tell them that their creator loves them.  When they tell me that they feel like they cannot do anything, I'll tell them. 1 John 5:4; Everyone born of God overcomes the world. We just have to believe and ask for his help.
     I encourage you -my readers- to love others as Christ loves you. I pray for you that he will give you strength to overcome the barricades in your lives. May God be with you. Have a great day, and keep in mind this: You are here for a purpose. If you were not, you would not be alive. Everyday you wake up, think to yourself: "I am alive. Thank you God. You must want me to do something. Help me to accomplish your will."  I use to think suicidal thoughts, but now I know better than that. I would not be on this planet, in this age if it were not God's will. Who am I to remove myself from here? That is for God to do.  So, live today -live everyday- as if you were not going to live then next.  And when you do wake up in the morning the next day, praise God for thinking of you and giving you a purpose.

~Daughter of the Light

Death and Life

     John 19:16-18; So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull. 18 Here they crucified him. Jesus let them beat, tease, and murder him in order that he could save his people from sin.  If that is not love, I do not know what is.  John 19:26-27; When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. Jesus, being the oldest son with no father, was responsible for taking care of his mother. When he turned thirty, he was released of that responsibility, but obviously he loved his mom dearly and wanted her to be taken care of.
     Even though it was hard, Jesus kept his promise to the world, and he followed through with everything he said he would do. He died on a cross and then three days later rose from the dead.  He appeared to his disciples to give them strength and encouragement.  John 20:19-23 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit."  Jesus did not only mean for his 11 disciples to tell the world about him, but everyone who calls himself a follower of Christ.  I shall tell the world about what Christ did for us all too.  It is the least I can do, but I cannot do it on my own. I have to ask God of wisdom and the Holy Spirit.
     Dear God, I thank you for sending your son to this earth to save us.  I thank you for giving him the wisdom to speak to the world about you and for giving him strength to complete what he was put on this earth to do. I pray that you would fill me with what I need to accomplish the purpose you have placed in my life. I ask for joy, peace, wisdom, patience, and the ability to love like your son loved.  Not my will but yours be done. In Jesus name, Amen.

~Daughter of the Light

Tell the World

     John 15:9-13; As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. 10 If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commandments and remained in his love.   11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  What a good Father! He wants us to be filled with complete joy.  He wants the best for us, and he tells us -his children- what we need to do to remain in his everlasting love. He asks that we obey him by loving others.  The thing that is so beautiful about God, is that he does not ask more of us than he asked of his own son.  Jesus came to the earth and loved all.  Jesus wants us to love all as well.
     But, he warns us that that does not mean everything will be hunky-dory.  Since the world is corrupt and full of people that Satan has gotten a hold of, bad things happen to good people. John 15:20-21; If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teachings, they will obey yours also.    21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. Our job as Christians is to love like Christ loved and teach like Christ taught.  People may hate us, but we have God with us.  I would rather have the Lord on my side and be persecuted by humans and demons, than suffer God's wrath because I turned away from him and would not tell the world of his love. John 16:33; In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  Everyone has problems. But I put my trust in someone who has the ultimate power. He left his throne in heaven, came to earth, suffered the worst death possible, all for the sake of his people. He loves us so much that he would do that.  The least I can do in return is to follow what he asked and love the people he died for.
     When the soldiers came to take Jesus, it was not as though he did not have the power to resist them.  He still had the power to health the sick and raise people from the grave, but because he loved his people so much, he went with the soldiers. John 18:4-6; Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who is it you want?"   5 "Jesus of Nazareth," they [the soldiers] replied.   "I am he," Jesus said.  6 When Jesus said, "I am he," they drew back and fell to the ground.  I love this verse because here Jesus is not shouting, yet when he gently says those powerful words, "I am he," the soldiers go flying back.  I would be pretty scared if I were one of them.  No one even touched me, yet I fell to the ground after some man I am about to arrest spoke to me! Jesus had the power to snap his fingers and have the angels come and defend him. John 18:11; "Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?"  Jesus was prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for those he loved.  He was prepared to lay down his life just to prove to sinful people that he loved them.
     I have sometimes heard teenage girls talk about boy bands, and they say that from the words that the boys sing, they know that they are loved. They feel like they can get through the day because a boy that has not even met them says that he loves them.  Well, I am not very wise, but I have heard from wise people that actions speak louder than words.  Jesus loves the people in the world. He may not like there sin, but he loves the people.  It is up to us to tell others about Jesus and what he did to prove that he really does love us. A girl may feel loved by a boy she has never met because he sings about how he loves her. How much more could we change the world if we told about the abounding love of Jesus Christ?  He died on a cross for us all and gave us his word, the Bible, to tell us that he loves us.  All we have to do is read and tell the world what we read.
     I do not know about you, but I cannot keep my mouth shut up. That someone would die for a sinner like me is absolutely incredible. When I see a movie or read a good book, I can hardly wait to tell people the exciting news about what I just learned. How could I keep quiet about this even greater gift God has given me. He died so that I might live. He died so that you might live. I shall tell the world of his love, despite the troubles I may endure. God loves me, and all I can do is forever praise and obey him. I do not want to stray from someone so indescribably amazing. I will remain in him.  I will tell the world full of darkness about the light that I have, so that they too can become children of the light.

~Daughter of the Light 

Teen for the Light

     35 You are going to have the light just a little while longer.  Walk while you have the light, before the darkness overtakes you. The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going. 36 Put your trust in the light while you still have it, so that you may become sons of light.  In John 12:35-36, Jesus tried to encourage the people to trust and believe in him, so the they did not have to continue walking in the darkness.  He wanted his people to know him, to know his love for them, and to love others so that they knew Christ loved them too. John 13:34-35; Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.  As a Christian, I am guilty of not being loving.  I admit that I do get angry and sin.  Thank you God for forgiving me! As a daughter of the Christ, I shall try everyday of my life to show love to people more than I did the day before. I shall encourage you -my reader- daily on how the Lord is blessing me, and how he loves and wants to bless you.  I shall live a life worthy of the calling I have received. 29 I will not let any unwholesome talk come out of my mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Ephesians 4:1+29
     I speak in faith, for without God, I can do nothing. In my strength alone, I am weak.  I trust in him, that he will supply me with all the strength and support I need to complete the tasks assigned to me. John 14:12 says, Anyone who has faith in Me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these.
     I want to tell the world how God loves them.  I want to go to the poor and the hurting and tell them about what Christ did for them. How he loved them so much that he would die the most horrible death in order that we could be saved.  I want to tell the broken that he loves them.  I want to tell the orphans that they are not fatherless, because they have a heavenly father who very much cares for them. I want to be God's servant and tell them that he wants to give them peace, and that through him is the only way they can get it.  One cannot get peace from the world but only through Jesus Christ. John 14:27; Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. In order to encourage others, I have created this blog.  Everyday, after I read my daily devotions, I shall type out what I learned or what God wishes me to share with you. I shall tell how I am walking in the light, hopefully to build you up. God bless you.

~Daughter of the Light