Breaking Words That Bind You.

What is a promise? It is defined as "to give an assurance of (something to someone); undertake (to do something) in the future:". Why are they so significant? Why is it so painful when they are broken?

From a biblical perspective, a promise is something to be fulfilled and carried out. This is seen in God's promise to never flood the earth again. The fulfillment of the old testament by sending Jesus to be crucified on Calvary. The promise that you can be reborn and have a fresh start with everything forgiven. And promises that are waiting to be fulfilled, such as the second coming of Christ. The point though is that God keeps His promises no matter what.

Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"

Think about times people have broken promises to you. It didn't make you feel very warm and fuzzy, did it? In fact, it may have made you feel angry, unloved, or unimportant. Every single person is guilty of breaking a promise. It doesn't matter how small of a promise it is. If you give someone your word, they should be able to trust that your actions will match your words. Don't make a promise you can't keep because you are bound to break the words that bind you.

"I will not violate my covenant or alter what my lips have uttered." Psalm 89:34

If you ever make a promise to God, try and remember how He keeps the promises made to you. So why should you break the ones you make with Him? Think of how it felt to have someone you love break a promise to you. I bet it hurt extremely bad. Do you think it hurts God any less? If anything it hurts Him more. Know that God will never break His promises to you even though other people have broken their promises.

Isaiah 54:10 "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

Forsaken?

Lord, hear my cry.
     If you forsake me
I will surely die
     Before the sun does rise.
Dry my tears.
     Whisper words of love
To relinquish my fears
     Of the nightmares past,
The tormenting present,
     The foggy future.
This cloud of uncertainty - constant,
     Never dwindling, never ceasing.
This body bestowed upon me,
     By troubles of the earthly realm
Has succumbed to being weary.
   

Little Monkey

As a little girl I loved adventure. One of my favorite things I used to do was climb trees. In essence, I was a little monkey. I would fearlessly climb as high as I could. My feet never lost their holdings and my hands always found a branch or a root to cling on. One day I was merrily climbing a tree. It was nice and sunny outside. Just another ordinary day. Wrong. This time I got stuck and couldn't get out of the tree. This was the time before eight-year- olds had cell phones, so I couldn'y just call my dad. I panicked because I felt alone and no one was there to help me. I screamed for my dad and he heard my cry. He came to the tree I was climbing. I got down on the lowest branch I could reach. My dad held his arms out. I jumped and he caught me. My father came to my rescue.

How often does our Heavenly Father come to our rescue when we call Him? So much more. He helps me keep my sanity and makes me feel like I'm never alone. All you have to do is ask.

⁹ “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."
Luke 11: 9-10

Think of how independent you try and be. Think of how you try to deal with everything on your own instead of praying to God about it. As christians we do this more than we realize. I know I do. If we are having trouble with school, relationships, work, our self-esteem, whatever it is, why do we wait until we start sinking in quick sand before we go to God? Sometimes we feel like He's not listening if we don't get the answer we want to hear. Then we quit praying and become stubborn. It doesn't have to be that way. God isn't a genie. He doesn't grant you all of your wishes in the snap of a finger. That doesn't mean you shouldn't pray to Him. He helps you if you allow Him to. He wants to help you. Just search your heart. If it's been awhile since you've talked to God, know that it's never to late to call for help. Do YOU want Him to help you, or do you want to try and do everything on your own again?

L'amour Inconditionnel.

I've been thinking a lot lately. I have a lot of feelings that words cannot convey.

Think about all of the relationships you've had in your life. Some are healthy, and some aren't. I think every person has, or will have, that one person who hurts them more than anyone else. Sometimes we love people even though we have no reason to. Loving that certain human being goes against all logic and reasoning. Yet you love them anyways. You love someone who tore your life apart. Love someone who takes advantage of you and manipulates you without feeling remorse. Love someone who doesn't love you back. Why do we torture ourselves for people who don't appreciate it? for people who wouldn't do the same? There can only be one answer: UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.

What is this so called unconditional love? Many people say this without fully comprehending the meaning or weight of these words. This means that no matter what someone says or does to you, your feelings will not be swayed and you love them just the same. You will always forgive them for their follies and wrong doings. Unconditional love is the way that God loves YOU.

What does it mean that God loves you unconditionally? No matter what you do, how much you sin, how much you turn away, He will love you just the same.

The Bible tells you to love everyone as you love yourself.

"The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." 
- Mark 12: 31

Without God, this is humanely impossible. Why? Because God is love.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4: 8 

Love comes from God. He wants you to love others as He has loved you. This means you have to love others unconditionally, and you cannot do this without God.

   ^34\ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13: 34-35

I've seen people love unconditionally. Honestly, at first it seems irrational. Why forgive someone for hurting you over and over? What's the point in that? Shouldn't you know better than to keep making yourself vulnerable again and again? No, you shouldn't know better. Just because you love someone unconditionally does not make you weak, stupid, or mean you love blindly. It means you're a strong person who can love others the way that God loves you. It means you can find it in your heart to forgive others despite the fact that they may never change or be sorry for what they did. It means you can sleep at night with a light heart.

Have you ever had someone that you find it hard to love unconditionally? Personally, I have. It's someone I used to be very close with, and their actions have made it difficult to even think about them without wanting to vomit. Over time I was able to forgive them. At first it seems impossible. Believe it or not, it gets easier the more you try. It takes effort and willingness. I will never expect them to change, but I love them regardless of what they say or do. This is the meaning of unconditional love.

Back to the Future.

The first semester of senior year is over. I'll be seventeen in three days. Next year is less than three weeks away. I'll graduate from high school in five months. Summer will either be spent in Ecuador with Rossy, traveling with Mud Ministry, or doing missions with my best friends via the North American Missions Board. From there, I'll be going away for college.

Things are changing fast. The future is right in my face with what seems like endless possibilities. I'm excited and anxious to see how things will unfold. It seems like time is going by faster and faster. Everyone is so hyped up and worried about the future. Don't forget that life is happening HERE & NOW. Until graduation I'm going to enjoy the present and not worry about the future.

I'm going to make my own decisions regarding my future, between myself and God, even if I don't have the approval of others.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Tidal Wave.

Signs of depression include: 

you can’t sleep or you sleep too much

you can’t concentrate or find that previously easy tasks are now difficult

you feel hopeless and helpless

you can’t control your negative thoughts, no matter how much you try

you have lost your appetite or you can’t stop eating

you are much more irritable and short-tempered than usual

you have thoughts that life is not worth living

Depression hits you like a tidal wave. You can't see it coming, but you sure feel it once it encompasses you.  Lately I've been noticing that a lot of people are secretly depressed over a medley of things. Depression isn't exactly a cheerful topic, so many people evade the subject thinking no one will understand how they feel. Truth is, even someone who is empathetic of your pain won't know exactly how you feel. I can attest that a depressed person has trouble deciphering their own feelings. The feeling is overwhelming, and most likely you feel like you have no where to turn. But there is someone you can turn to who understands EXACTLY how you feel.

 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

Suffering we endure on earth is minuscule compared to the joy that will be spent in eternity. Our omniscient God knows the future and we can't see what lies ahead. Things in our life change, and we must learn how to deal with it so we do not become depressed. The first thing is to realize that this life is only temporary, and you can't see the big picture.

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment [as seen from God's eternity], is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 

I disagree with the phrase "God won't give you anything you can't handle." Why do I disagree with it? Because sometimes God gives you more than you can handle so you will go to Him. He made us, so He's aware of how obstinate we are. There's a point where you simply have to give up your struggle. At some time in your life you have to throw in the towel and quit relying on your own strength and turn to God instead. He will give you hope if you ask Him.  

"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail;
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." Psalm 73:25-26

When you're depressed it's hard to see clearly. Almost as if you're seeing life in one big blur. You start not to care about anything. There's a way out of depression, and you can't do it on your own. As humans our strength runs out and we get tired. We like to be independent and tough and try to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. All this does is break you down until you can't get back up without a helping hand. Eventually you won't have enough strength to keep going and you'll fall flat on your face. Believe it or not, God can provide you with all the strength you need.

"The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.
...those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint."  Isaiah 40:28-31

 God can be your one comfort. The one place you can go to without feeling judged. He loves you for who you are, and in His eyes you are a beautiful creation. When God made man, He saw that it was good. There is indeed a point to your life or else He would not have put you on this earth. Every single human being has a purpose. Your life has meaning.  In your affliction you will find comfort.

"Remember the word to Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope.
This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life."  Psalm 119:49-50

If you want hope of coming out of depression, QUIT BEING SUCH A WORRY WART! Life is stressful. You let the little things build up until you're feasting on a heaping plate of worry goulash. Learn to take a chill pill or take a deep breath. Not everything you worry about is worth all the fuss. Someone skipped you in the lunch line, stay saved. Got a big test to study for? You will pass if you study adequately. Family or relationship problems? Surrender and cast it all on Jesus. (:

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34

Not of This World.

This is my first blog ever. Thanks to Keri Hunnicutt (:

Something I've observed lately: people look for love in all the wrong places.

It breaks my heart to see the things that people resort to. Sex. Drugs. Alcohol. Anything and everything that's secular. People change themselves to fit the standards of the world. As humans we naturally thirst for love and a place to belong. Things on earth only fill this longing temporarily. Face it....... Humans cannot satisfy themselves. There's always something we seek, whether it's the latest gadget, the raise at work, or the tasty dessert. We are never satisfied with what we have. Nothing on earth can quench your thirst.


"My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water." Jeremiah 2:13


The only way to slake your desire for unconditional love is through the living water: God and Jesus. It's the one place where you're accepted for who you are. You aren't judged by the things you've done or where you've been. The love that flows freely and never dries up is yours for the taking.  



"but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14


I've seen Christians stray away from God, and it can be hard to find your way back.  If all of your friends curse, smoke, and drink then it has the tendency to rub off on you. It doesn't mean you're bound to pick up other peoples bad habits, because it can work in reverse. You might be the one good example and non-hypocritical Christian that someone sees. Your actions speak louder than words. As Christians, we are called to be set a part from others. In other words, don't conform.


"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2


Is it really worth losing who you are just to become someone else?


"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?" Mark 8:36