God is Worth Being Crazy For

  2 Corinthians 5:13-15; If we are “out of our mind,” as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.  I love knowing that there is a chance that I am crazy because it would mean that I am crazy for God. I should be crazy about him, after all he has done for me. I love him and would do anything for him.

~Daughter of the Light

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

     Here is a word of encouragement from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18;

     Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

~Daughter of the Light

Comparing Yourself to Others

     1 Corinthians 3:18-19; Do not deceive yourselves. If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become “fools” so that you may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness.”

     This totally applies to me. I make the mistake of comparing myself to other people and thinking I am better than them, so I must be amazing. How rude is that though? I shouldn't judge others like that and I shouldn't be that prideful, however, I am getting a little bit better at not taking credit for everything I do. While I took my permit test, once every problem appeared, before I read it I said, "Jesus please help me. I can't do this without you. If it is not your will for me to pass this test than I don't want to, but if it is your will for me to pass, give me wisdom to do so." I prayed that before reading every problem and when I got a problem right, praised God.
     It is hard when your friends start to do things they shouldn't not to say, "Well I am so much better than them." But the only person we should be comparing ourselves to is God. Or, actually I do compare myself to another person as well, but she is my hero. She is leading a Godly life and is a fabulous role model. Sometimes it is easier to ask what would Jessica do instead of what would Jesus do because I don't always know what Jesus would have done. It is really helpful to have a role model like her.
     I don't know about you, but I don't like to be called a fool. I don't want to have to fall flat on my face because I elevated myself to much. I need to give the glory of everything to God and compare myself to his standards and not those of other people. It will take a lot of self-control, but God will help me be successful. Thank you Jesus.

~Daughter of the Light

Max Lucado

      I was reading in my book, Redefining Beautiful by Jenna Lucado, about how Jesus went to the garden to pray.  He knew he was going to be arrested there and then was going to die.  This is a message by Max Lucado that was on the side of my page, and I thought he made a really good point so I should share it with you.
     I know it stinks to go to detention on a Saturday morning, knowing that three hours of cleaning campus await.  I know it's a pain to go home after school with a bad report card knowing that Mam is going to ask about it.  And I know it's an eye-roller to spend half of the summer at Grandma's house watching returns of Jeopardy all day.  But to go somewhere knowing that you are going to die there?  Now that is a whole other ballgame.  
     I'm pretty sure that if I were living it up in Heaven at the right side of God, there's no way I'd volunteer to live thirty-three years on earth, where I'd experience sickness, cruelty, hunger, misunderstanding, rejection, betrayal, loneliness... but Jesus came not only to go through all of that, but also separation from his Father.  He hung on that cross, bleeding, probably getting splinters in his back, in pain.
     Just think about the different ways we can sacrifice something for someone else.  We can give up our weekend and volunteer at a food bank.  We can miss our favorite TV show to help our siblings with their homework.  We can give our allowance to help a homeless man on the streets.  Maybe one thing is easier than another, but they are all important way to show that we are real Christians.

~Daughter of the Light

Be Strong

1 Corinthians 16:13; Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 14 Do everything in love.

Gideon

     I was reading in Judges this morning and it talked about how Gideon fought as God had told him to and he overcame the Midianites. I remember really liking the story of Gideon, but as I read Judges 8:23-27, I felt this real sadness because I had forgotten how the story ended.  But Gideon told them, "I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you.” 24 And he said, “I do have one request, that each of you give me an earring from your share of the plunder.” 27 Gideon made the gold into an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his town. All Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his family.
     I had forgotten that Gideon turned away and made an idle. I was very disappointed and then I thought, "How bad does God feel when we turn away like that, after all he has done?" It makes me want to please God even more and be more careful of what I do. I know it is frustrating to read stories of people who don't have happy endings, but it is a good reminder to us that we need to stand strong and use discernment. We need to not repeat other people's mistakes. 1 Corinthians 15:58; Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

 ~Daughter of the Light

End of the World

   Psalm 44:6-8;

 I put no trust in my bow,

my sword does not bring me victory;

7 but you give us victory over our enemies,

you put our adversaries to shame.

8 In God we make our boast all day long,

and we will praise your name forever.

     I felt like this was a really good reminder that our trust is in God and not in ourselves (thank goodness). I was talking about the end of the world with my mom and sister the other day, which if you know me you know I like talking about those kind of things along with spiritual warfare, and my mom was talking about how scary it was that our world is becoming so corrupt. Perhaps it is because I have been reading all about communism in school this last week or I don't know what, but I wasn't really scared. In fact, I could not help smiling. Something about that we will be going to heaven sooner than I thought made me happy.

     I pointed out to her that in the Revelations it tells us that storms will rage harder than ever before (we just had a pretty bad storm), times are going to be harder than ever before (everyone seems to be loosing it), but it also says 365 times in the Bible to not be afraid. We trust in God, not ourselves. Through ourselves, we can do nothing, but with God, anything is possible. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, which means he is still in control, and what he promised years ago, he will still do. Thank you God.

~Daughter of the Light

Admirable Friends

      It is amazing what you can learn about your friends when you sit back and listen. I have one friend in particular who is going through a lot of real pain. I listened to talk about it, but, unlike a lot of folks, she did not drag on about how terrible her life was and how she hated so and so and all that. She only kept talking because I asked deeper questions. Here she was, in a really difficult situation, and yet, she was not really complaining. I really admire that.
     Even though she has ever reason to be angry at God (she has had serious hardships for years) she is not. She is loving and encouraging and when another one of my friends is having a hard time, she is the first to comfort that person. She is beautiful. I want to be like that.

     Another friend of mine I admire her for her joy. She is always smiling and hugging people who are down in spirit. Whenever I have been somewhere new and I'm confused about what to do, if she is there, she always makes me feel included and makes an effort to help me understand. She is helpful and positive, but she is not one of those optimistic people whose joy is just obnoxious and noisy. She can be silly without being stupid. She is real and genuine and I will always look up to her as a great example of a true Christian.

     Pure, friendly, honest, and honorable are all characteristics that describe one of my friends. She stands up for what is right. She doesn't let people push her into doing something she believes is wrong, but when she tells that person she doesn't want to do bad things, she is polite and loving. When I disagree with people, I have the tenancy to get upset, but she stays calm and says things with honey instead of vinegar.
     She is also funny, but not in a way that ever puts someone else down or is inappropriate. She is a beautiful example of a Godly teenage girl growing into a mature woman. She can be sophisticated and then she can be silly and crazy, but always in a good way and never out of hand. She is also really good at seeing other people's perspectives and noticing if anyone looks lonely or left out.

    I love my friends. Seeing how they handle hardships and push through life with a smile constantly trusting God is so beautiful. I look up to these girls and hope to be like them.
    Thank you God for putting people in my life to look up to and show me how I should act. Thank you for giving be such loving teachers. I pray that you would help them know how loved they are.

~Daughter of the Light

Temptation

    I go to a really great school. It is a classical, charter school. My older brother went to this school for five years, graduated, and got a fully-ride scholarship to the college he wanted to go to. Now that he is in collage, he says the work is easy because he was pushed so hard in high school. I have been going to this school for six years. (that is part of elementary school, all of middle school, and part of high school) I know it is really good academically, but I am a very social person and this school is not social at all. It revolves all around academics. My brother was able to get through alright because he is an introvert and does not crave interaction with people like I do.  It has been really hard for me to get by and I am really freaking out because I have so much homework to do that is collage-prep work. Another this is, all my friends go to this other school. I want to go there so badly it hurts, but my parents don't want me to go.
     It is true that this school I go to presently is amazing academically and I would probably get a full-ride scholarship to go to the collage I want to if I keep going, but for the last six years I have been deprived of any social life that I feel like an incomplete person. It hurts so much more than I can say. If it was physical labor, I could deal with it, but it is not. It is emotional, mental stuff that I don't understand.
      It is clear to me that the school I go to presently is better for me in the long run as far as education, but if I graduate an angry, hurt girl, that is not a good thing. I was reading today in my Bible, 1 Corinthians 10:12-13; So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.  I felt like God was telling me, 'It's okay. I'll help you get through it. Things aren't so bad when we do them together.'
      I asked him why I was so unhappy and he said it was because I spend to much time thinking about my own problems, so I get depressed. 1 Corinthians 10:24; No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.  That makes total sense because whenever I serve others I am really happy, but when I focus on how I am "deprived" of any social life, I get angry, ugly, and sad.
     It is always nice to get that affirmation from God saying he is holding your hand. You know that already, but whenever he tells me that it just makes me feel more confident. Thank you God.

~Daughter of the Light~

Anyone need a hug today? (HUG)

Family Relief Nursery

   Dear Friends,
       I told you some time ago that I wanted to do something to stop abortion.  Well, as I was talking to a lady who helps counsel people who have been through that tragic process and she told me what it was like trying to help those people. I would love to help people like that, but since I am only in high school, I think I need to stick with a younger audience for now.
     This lady took me to a Family Relief Nursery in town where we were told all about what they do there and given a tour. I really feel like God put it in my heart for me to talk to this lady so that she could take me to this Family Relief Nursery. I know I want to help there and I can totally see how God has worked in my life in the past to prepare me for this task. It will be a challenge because I have never worked with children from non-Christian families and these kids have really difficult lives, but since I assisted teaching in a private school kindergarten for three years and I have been teaching the preschoolers at my church and helping teach the 1st-5th graders there too, I know that this is the next step for me.
     I AM SO EXCITED! It is a great feeling you get when you see where it is that God has been leading you all this time. I'm positive that this isn't even the last step in my journey. God is giving me this as preparation for something else.
     Thank you all for praying for me and being people to which I could write what was on my mind. God will bless you too and I pray that he makes you as happy as I am.

~Daughter of the Light

Self-control

     Self-Control: control or restraint of oneself or one's actions, feelings, etc.

     This week I am going to get off my Daniel Fast and I need to have self-control to not overindulge on sweets and other things. There are a million other things I could have self-control over, not arguing with my brother, not playing video games for hours, not looking at Facebook when I should do homework. Self-discipline is difficult, but I am determined to do it. Perhaps I should spend two weeks on this fruit of the spirit...

~Daughter of the Light

Judge and Innocence

     1 Corinthians 4:3-4; I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  Paul told the Corinthians that he didn't care if they judge him. Probably after being in jail so much, he knew God was the only judge that mattered. Because he had his eye focused on God, he was not held back by what others might think of him. He knew that after all the mistakes he made, God still loved him and that was good enough for him to keep going.

     This is another scripture that really reminds me that even if I feel that something should be right doesn't necessarily make it right. It has been really hard for me to grasp, but I love how Paul fully embraces it.

~Daughter of the Light

The Psalm that is like a Proverb

     As I was reading this Psalm, I couldn't help but think how much it sounded like a proverb.

Psalm 37:1-2;
1 Do not fret because of those who are evil

    or be envious of those who do wrong;
2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
    like green plants they will soon die away.

A. Often I have wanted to do bad things. A shocker right? Being rebellious looks cool. Somehow the idea of going out and partying all night long sounds fun. Sometimes getting drunk sounds fun, even though I know that is totally wrong. It must be that after watching so many movies were the people get drunk and act really funny, I thought it would be funny if I did it. Either way, being a bad girl has sounded desirable (as do many sins. that is why so many people fall into temptation) but after reading this scripture, I don't really have the desire to be bad anymore.

Psalm 37:3-4;

3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
4 Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

A. If you make God your best buddy, you will want to do the things your best buddy wants and likewise.

Psalm 37:5-6;

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him and he will do this:
6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

A. If I follow what God wants for me, I will be radiant.

Psalm 37:7-9;

7 Be still before the Lord
    and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
    do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For those who are evil will be destroyed,
    but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.

A. Keep Calm and let the Lord deal with the wicked.

Psalm 37:10-11;

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.

A. Don't let temptation get a hold of you. It make look like fun, but the consequences are death while the righteous get to live on in peace.

Psalm 37:12-15;

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
    and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
    and their bows will be broken.

A. God will deal with the wicked in time.

Psalm 37:16;

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth of many wicked;

A. With more power and more riches comes more greed and discontentment.

Psalm 37: 17-20;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
    but the Lord upholds the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,
    and their inheritance will endure forever.
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.

A. You don't want to be wicked.

Psalm 37:21-28;

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses will be destroyed.

23 The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
    or their children begging bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;
    their children will be a blessing.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
    then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed;
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.

A. If you do good, the Lord will take care of you.

Psalm 37:29-40;

29 The righteous will inherit the land
    and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
    their feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Hope in the Lord
    and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
    a future awaits those who seek peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
    there will be no future for the wicked.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.
40 The Lord helps them and delivers them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they take refuge in him.

~Daughter of the Light

Spiritual Gifts

     1 Corinthians 1:7; You do not lack any spiritual gift as you wait eagerly for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. We all have a spiritual gift if not more than one. In the last couple months I have been really interested in personality tests to find out more what I am like. It has helped me see the problems I struggle with so I can try and stop bad habits. I found a fabulous website where you answer 108 questions and they tell you what your spiritual gift is. It is not one of those random things where you see who you get or anything, this is serious. It is a very reliable sight and I found it very helpful.
    We all are gifted in many ways. God has made us all special. Knowing your spiritual gifts and other people's helps with collaboration. You can connect with someone who has a strength where you have a weaknesses and it works the other ways too.
     No gift is better than another one. When I found that my main gift was service I thought to myself, 'That is a good gift to have. That way I am not being selfish but I am helping others." But ALL gifts are necessary. They are all just as important.

http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1

~Daughter of the Light

Be Strong and Courageous

     Deuteronomy 31;6+8; Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. 8 The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
     Moses was telling the Israelites that even though he was not going to cross the Jordan river with them, God was. God would always be with them. After all the Israelites had done, God still was watching over them. He still loved them. He didn't love the sin that they did, but he loved them.
     I love hearing scriptures like this because in my prideful little mind I think to myself, "Awe, God loves me. He will always be with me. I don't have to be afraid of anything. I can live my life without fear because I know he will take care of everything." Well... bad things still happen. Yes, we don't have to live in fear of the things of this world but in the Bible it does say to fear the Lord you God. We love him but, like a good father, he will disciple us if we are disobedient.
     Something else that popped into my head this morning as I read this scripture was that this is how God feels about all his people. He loves them and will never leave or forsake them. He does not want them to be afraid or discouraged. This partly means that I should not go around discouraging other people because God loves them too. That seems pretty obvious somethings... ya, you shouldn't put people down or bully them, but sometimes I just get so fed up with my friends that I spit out a couple words that are to offend them. That is so not right and that is something I need to work on. It kind of goes along with being gentle too. I need to be gentle with my words.
      So, this day, be strong, bold, and courageous because you know that God is with you. Love others like he loves them and encourage others by telling them that even though we mess up, God forgives us.

~Daughter of the Light

Pride of the Galatians

     Galatians 6:2; Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will  fulfill the law of Christ. A pet peeve I have is complaining. When people go on and on about their problems and how it makes them so miserable, that really annoys me, but God wants us to listen and help. As true friends, we should hear the pain our buddy endures so that we can carry it for them. I personally do not do this very, but my heart tells me that this is something I could do a lot if I listened to how God would like me to help people.
     Galatians 6:3; If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  This one is like a slap in the face for me. I think to myself, 'God made me, so I must be important. I mean, Jesus died for me, so I must be worth it.' NO! I am so wrong! Jesus gave us grace. Grace is an undeserving gift which means I am undeserving; therefore, I deceive myself. I am nothing, yet I tell myself I am something.
     Galatians 6:5; Each one should test his own actions. The he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else. I do do a lot of comparing myself to other people. Yikes! These verses of correction really do apply to me. I have found it very difficult to correct myself on issues that are inside me rather than outside. If they are outside, then other people can help you. If they are internal, I have to ask God to help me. That is really difficult for me, yet I can't get better if I am not willing to ask and listen.
     Dear Jesus,
         Please help as I struggle with my pride. Give me a humble heart Lord so that I can be more like you. Help me not to measure myself to the standards of this world or to the people of this world. Help me to stay on the path you have set for me. I know it won't be the same as any one else's, so please help me not to look down on others because I feel like I am doing better than they. You said ask and you shall receive. Give me a humble heart. Give me wisdom. Not my will but yours be done.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

~Daughter of the Light

Speaking Words of Love

     Galatians 5:6; For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.  Without love, nothing counts.  If I am not being loving while I am being gentle or faithful, it is pointless. I want to love people, but often my pride gets in the way.
     Have you ever been told that words matter? I have been told that countless times. My mother once had a friend who smoked a lot and she finally decided that she wanted to quite. She started saying, "I don't smoke anymore." She would say that all the time, wherever she was, whatever she was doing. Even if she was smoking she would declare, "God has given me the power to stop smoking." After a while of speaking in faith over and over again, she began to smoke less and less. Finally, she stopped completely and had no desire to go back.
     That is an example of how words have power to do good. They also have the power to do bad. My grandmother often said, "I think I'm getting Alzheimer's." When she made a mistake or forgot something she would say, "Oh, I guess I'm getting Alzheimer's." After years of saying this, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She died in her early sixties when I was about six or seven. She was a wonderful woman, but she continued to declare something that was not good.
     For me I have decided that every day I am going to declare that I love people. I am going to name my family members and my friends and acquaintances and people I don't like very much. I am going to declare that I love my mom; I love my dad. If I speak that over and over I know it will affect me in a good way. It can be had to say when I am angry with people, but the truth is... I don't really want to be mad at anyone. With help from God, I will be able to love everyone just like he called me to do.

~Daughter of the Light

Gentleness

     Being gentle is for sure something I lack, and one of the reasons for that may be that I never think about it. I've told myself before, "Be more loving." or "Patience. Patience girl." But for some reason gentleness gets overlooked in my life. I am a very determined girl. I see things very black and white, and when I think something is wrong, I get very passionate about it. I am not gentle at all except when it comes to babies. Maybe when I was little my mom told me to be gentle enough times while holding a baby that it just stuck. I love kids, and I am pretty careful when I am playing with them not to hurt anyone else around us; but when it comes to peers, I guess I figure they don't need gentleness anymore.  It's kind of sad, but not being gentle is a character trait I have ignored.
     Today is Sunday and there is a youth group at a friend of mine's house that starts tonight. When I go there and I hear people share their opinions, I am going to make an enormous effort to not judge and fight with them. I will listen to them instead of only listening to myself. I'm also going to pray that God helps me be gentle.

~Daughter of the Light

A Talking Donkey

      I get a daily devotional from Prime Time with God by Os Hillman, Marketplace Leaders, and I really loved the one that was shared today. I thought I would share it with you.

     The donkey said to Balaam, "Am I not your own donkey, which you have always ridden, to this day?" Numbers 22:30

     Most workplace believers I know tend to be task - oriented, motivated visionaries. And they will do just about anything to make their projects successful. This great strength can, if not properly bridled by the Holy Spirit, be a great weakness in their ability to fulfill God's will in their life.

Sometimes we want something to succeed so much that we fail to listen to that little voice inside trying to warn us by directing us on a different path. Such was the case of Balaam. He started out as a man of God, but then took the path of a "prophet-for-hire." God was not pleased with Balaam's decision to respond to a pagan king's request that he curse Israel. As Balaam rode his donkey to keep his appointment with the king, God sent the angel of the Lord to stand in the way and oppose Balaam. Although Balaam did not see the angel, his donkey did. Three times the donkey turned from the path and three times Balaam beat the animal in anger. Finally, the donkey turned around, and to Balaam's shock and amazement, began to speak to him, admonishing his master for beating him. Imagine a donkey talking to you! He warned Balaam of the angel of death who was standing in the road with a sword drawn, ready to kill Balaam if he continued.

     There are times when pushing harder, trying to manipulate the circumstance, or pressing those around you is not the response to have to the roadblock. God may be trying to have you reconsider your ways. God may be doing one of four things when you are faced with an obstacle: 1) He's blocking it to protect you. 2) His timing to complete this stage is not the same as yours, and He may need you to go through a process of character refinement. 3) He may want other players to get in place, and the circumstances are not yet ready for them to enter. 4) He may be using the process to develop patience in you. Relying on the Holy Spirit to know which one applies to your situation is the key to moving in God's timing.

~Os Hillman