The Thing We Never Hear About Lot

I was recently reading in Genesis and I came across this verse:

And while, he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. - Genesis 19:16

There are so many things that I learned from this verse right here. Here are a couple of the lessons.

First, we see our human nature. Lot was forcefully removed. I think that we often hear the story as “Lot left.” Not as “Two angels forces lot to leave the city.” They set him outside of it. We can see so many things about ourselves from this verse. Lot was warned. He knew full and well that Sodom was going to be destroyed. He had a conscience at some point because the New Testament tells us that he was a just man, but his conscious was so seared that he was satisfied in his sin. He was content to stay and be destroyed by his own stubbornness and love for sin. Don’t you think that we often do the same thing? We get so stuck in our sin. We are satisfied. We are content to stay in Sodom. It’s comfort, it’s constant exposure, it’s contentment in sin. But this brings me to the second point.

Second, we see God’s nature. God is merciful. We often don’t care enough about ourselves to remove ourselves from bad situations. But God does. He loves us so much that even when we are stuck in our own sin, He wants to help. So sometimes, he has to forcefully remove us from a situation. I can think of specific times in my life where God has done this for me. If you are a child of God, you can probably think of some too. It could be an ended relationship, an exposed secret sin, a humility check. You know. And sometimes, we’re tempted to be mad at God. Why would He do that to us? How could this ever be okay? Because of His love. God is so merciful to us even when we have no desire for His mercy.

Human nature versus God’s nature. What a contrast! I’m so grateful that my nature is not the nature of God. If it was, boy, would we be in trouble! But in spite of my sin and stubbornness, God is perfect. He is love. He is merciful. 

All You Need Is a Good Book

Have you ever read a really good book? I'm not talking about one that is just a great story. It's one that makes you laugh, cry, maybe both at the same time. It's that one you get so attached to you think the character's are real, and when the book is over, you don't know what to do with your life anymore. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has been there.

Books are a great form of entertainment, but they're also great for learning, growing, and just imagining. Reading is that place you can go to escape. I could give so many examples of this. It's getting lost in history, in a make-believe world, even in the amazing character of God in His Book. When we read, we can gain so much. 

With all the junk that is written today, it's hard to find something worthwhile. Honestly, I get bored with that same Christian fiction. Girl is alone. Girl meets guy she's not so sure about. Girl and guy fall in love. Girl and guy have a big fight or problem. Guy saves girl. Girl and guy fall in love again. And they live happily ever after. It's the same story over and over again. (If you've ever read a Christian fiction book, you would know!) So, what's something good and wholesome that's out there? I'd like to give you just a few of my favorite books. Now, I'm the girl that will read a book two, three, maybe a million times if it's a good one. These would definitely make that list.

1. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. This book is my all-time favorite book, and yes, it's one of those Christian romance books. But it's not your normal story. This one is based on the book of Hosea in the Bible. It's a great read because it portrays who we are as opposed to who Christ is. You have to read the author's notes in order to get the whole effect! I would recommend this book to college age and older ladies. Other ones by Francine Rivers that I would recommend are The Mark of the Lion Series and A Lineage of Grace. Excellent reads!

2. Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Leigh Demoss. This one falls into the inspirational category. It's not necessarily just a pleasure read, but it will teach you oh so much. I would recommend this to girls of any age, but especially teenagers. When I read it as a teenager, it hit all of my problems right on the head. It's filled with Scripture that points you just where you need to be. 

3. Holiness by Nancy Leigh Demoss. This book again falls into the inspirational category. The spiritual growth that I received in this book is amazing. No, it wasn't anything that I had not heard before, but it was refreshing. We get surrounded by the filthiness of this world; we get so caught up in it ourselves that we don't even notice it creeping into our own lives. This book gives you a fresh look at what a life lived for God should look like. 

4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Now, when I read this book in high school. I did not like it. It wasn't until I read the story a second time that I realized how beautiful a story it actually is. The book is just a classic love story. It teaches that love looks past the faults. 

5. Blink by Ted Dekker. This one is for all you suspense and mystery lovers. (But yes, there's still a little love story, but very little.) A man who can see into the future, a possibility of alternate realities. It's definitely a winner in my book. 

6. Three by Ted Dekker. Another mystery and suspense one, but this one is even better than the previous one. I honestly never saw the ending coming! Love it. 

7. Refiner's Fire Series by Lynn Austin. This is your historical fiction series. If you like learning about the Civil War (which if you're from the South, you probably do), then this series is for you. But be prepared to get attached. 

8. The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins. I know this one is a touchy series that many people have mixed feelings about, so please, please, please talk to your parents about it first! These books are well-written with an excellent plot and subplots. The political theory behind the book and the symbolism = amazing! All that being said, it does have some worldly philosophies that you need to watch out for. Being rooted and grounded in God's Word is the key. 

9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis. This is one of those classic tales that I think everyone should read. Although it's been a very long time since I read it, I would recommend it. It's a great fantasy read that you can trust to be clean with good morals. 

10. The Bible. Last, but so not the least is the Bible. It has everything! Romance, suspense, battles, history. It's a story book from cover to cover, but it's all true! I'm reading through the Bible this year, and I'm only through Genesis, but the stories have me captivated. They will not only captivate you, but they will also teach you to love your God more.

What are some of your favorite books?

A Teacher's Heart

For the last week and a half, I have had the great privilege to work alongside my first grade teacher in the classroom. I got the opportunity to see first hand why teaching is so important.

Yes, the education is important, but there's something even more pressing in a Christian school education. It's Christ's love.

Love is shown in many different ways in the classroom. It's shown by taking time to listen to a child's story even though he might raise his hand in the middle of the lesson. It's shown by correcting a student when she talks back. It's shown by getting a student's attention to make sure he is learning what he should be. It's shown by doing the best you can to understand a child's needs even when it may be difficult.

Most of you can probably think of a bad teacher. One who wasn't prepared. One who didn't care what you did. One who was too overbearing. But you can probably think of your favorite teacher too. It was probably someone who noticed you and loved you just for being you. You may not have realized what they were doing when you were in the class, but you know it now.

After this week, I can see what teaching is really all about because of my teacher's example. Teaching isn't necessarily about giving children the best education that they can in the classroom (even though this is what they are getting in this setting and this will be a goal for me personally). It's about showing my student's the love of Christ, that it will mold them and shape them into who they can and ought to be.

Communication is Key

I think that sometimes we are scared to pray about the little things. It's like we think that God may think our request is stupid. It's like telling a older brother or sister something. Or like telling your best friend an embarrassing secret. We want to keep it to ourselves; we don't want anyone to know. Not even God.

Why? Because we don't realize who God really is.

We don't realize that He is love. We don't realize that He knows we are human. We don't realize that He cares even for the most simple things (even tiny birds).

This is the cool thing about God. You can be you. He wants you to be yourself. Completely honest and open. We seem to think that we can hide things from God, but the truth is He already knows. He knows what you're afraid to ask for. He knows what sin you've kept a secret. He knows that one thing you refuse to tell anyone else.

Just talk to Him.

That's all prayer is. It's talking to God. It's using communication with Him not to just ask for what we want but to build up a good relationship with Him. Without communication, you cannot have a good relationship.

If you really want to see God at work in your life, communication is key. Praying is your way of talking to God, and the Bible is His way of talking to you. Get to know Him as much as you can. Strive to work on better communication in the best relationship you can have.

14 Things to Help You Enjoy 2014

I think we would all agree that we want to enjoy this year. Maybe you're off to a rough start already. Well, I've come up with a little list that will hopefully help you out. It's not going to cure all of your problems, but these are some things that I've found to help me enjoy life just a little more.

1. Spend time with God every day.

• Set aside some special time each day just to talk to God and read His Word. This is the most important thing you can do each and every day. Knowing God better will make your relationship with Him even more amazing. You'll find that when you start your day off with God, you're starting it off in the best possible way. 

2. Choose to have godly friends.

• Choose to be around people who are going to encourage you in your walk with God. They'll provide you with fun times, encouragement, and just general joy. 

3. Get involved in your local church.

• Whether it's watching the babies, teaching Sunday School, singing in choir, or whatever else you can do, get involved in church. Don't just sit there every Sunday. See what you can do to be an active member of your home church. You never know what a huge blessing it will be not to others but to you to serve. 

4. Spend your money wisely. 

• This is a great one, especially for me as a college student. You might be tempted to spend money on things you don't need, but save it for something in the future. You never know when life will bring you an unexpected surprise. It could be an emergency or something as simple as a birthday gift. You want to be prepared.

5. Get a planner and use it. 

• I am the queen of planners. I have one that's actually supposed to get here in the mail tomorrow, and I am so excited! Writing down everything you need to do in any given day will help you to get more accomplished. Write down those birthdays, anniversaries, your to-do lists, grocery lists, homework assignments. If there's a day for it, write it in!

6. Make a to do list each morning.

• One of the things that I do almost every day is I write down everything that needs to be done. I love to check off lists, so this is a great way for me to get things done. The feeling of marking something off that list is just wonderful! You should try it right now!

7. Choose a verse for the year. 

• Choose yourself a theme verse for this year. It could be a verse of encouragement. It could be a goal for the year. It could just be something that you want to remember throughout the day. I chose Philippians 1:27a, "Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ."

8. Choose someone and make a difference in her life this year.

• We probably all know someone who just needs a little more love. Do you have that person in mind? What can you do to be her friend? How can you make a difference in her life? It doesn't have to be through money or gifts. It might just be letting them know you care and showing it by the way you treat them. 

9. Eat healthier and drink more water.

• Now, this is one that I really struggle on because I love food. But at the end of last year, I finally began to choose some healthy food choices. It was nothing drastic; I didn't even go on a diet! I just chose to eat foods that were a little better for me. I found that I felt so much better! I think you will too.

10. Read. 

• Reading is quickly becoming a lost art. With all of the social media that we have, people simply don't enjoy reading as much any more. We spend all our time in front of the TV, stalking on Facebook, and pinning on Pinterest. Take some time to curl up with that old favorite book. Read something challenging. Learn something new. You'll broaden your imagination, vocabulary, and intelligence. Enjoy reading!

11. Make it a goal to memorize Scripture.

• Here's another struggle area for me. I'm not the best at memorizing Scripture frequently. In high school, I did a lot because I had to. But I quickly fell out of memorizing after I graduated. Psalm 119:11 tells us to hide God's Word in our hearts why? So that we won't sin against Him. When we are memorizing Scripture, we're building up our armory for Christ. Memorizing Scripture will help you to fight off temptations in your life, making your year that much more enjoyable!

12. Say "I Love You."

• Sometimes those who are closest to us miss out on our love. We live with them, or we see them every day. We think, "Oh, he knows I love him. She knows I love her." But we never tell them. You never know when it may be your last chance to say "I love you." 

13. Take pictures and get them printed.

• Capture those moments that you want to remember and print them out. A few days ago when my sister and I cleaned out our closet, we found tons of old pictures from when we were kids. It was so sweet looking back on all of those old times. With Facebook and Instagram, it's easy just to take a quick picture and upload it. But I want to challenge you to print it off and store it away. Having that picture to actually hold in your hands will be such a sweet moment one day. 

14. Don't waste time.

• If you're anything like me, there have been times in your life where you've looked back and wondered what you were doing with your life. Why did you waste all that time? It could have been years spent on a bad friendship, or it could just be that you sat in front of the computer for way too long. Don't waste your life. Think of something to do, and do it! 

Enjoy 2014!

Quiet Confidence in Prayer

I recently started reading through the book of I Samuel. This verse caught my attention in the very first chapter.

"And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad." - I Samuel 1:18

Let me give you a little background to this verse. The book of I Samuel opens up with Hannah and Peninnah arguing. Peninnah has children; Hannah does not. And she is mocked for it. The Bible tells us that she "provoked her [Hannah] sore." Peninnah was Hannah's thorn in the flesh. She constantly riled her for not having any children. Hannah was greatly grieved. And no one understood, not even her own husband. He thought he was enough, but Hannah desired a child. She wanted a son of her own. 

So she turned to the only One who could help. 

Hannah visited the temple and she prayed. She prayed with everything she had. She was so intense, so wrapped up in her prayer. That the priest, Eli, accused her of being drunk. He couldn't hear her voice; he only saw her lips moving. Perhaps, she didn't even remember what she was saying. She was just crying out to God for her greatest desire. 

After explaining herself to Eli, he said these words: "Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him." And the very next verse is verse 18. She returned to normal. She went along with whatever tasks she needed to accomplish. She ate. She was happy. She knew that the Lord had heard her; she knew he answered her. 

How many times do we bring our worries before God, but we don't leave them there? We walk into the temple, talk to God, and then take our problem back out with us. We don't realize the quiet confidence that we can have in prayer. It's not a magical feeling, it's not even that we know 100% everything will go the way we planned it. But we know that God hears, and He is in control. 

The same chapter, Hannah's desire was granted. God heard her. We may not get immediate results; we may not get the results we want. But because God is good, we can have Hannah's same quiet confidence in prayer. 

I Resolve To

So, here it is. The time for New Year's Resolutions. Most of which have already been broken because after all, it is January 5.

But I actually like to jump on this bandwagon because I'm cheesy like that. New Year's resolutions give me a goal. They give me something to look forward to. (Check out my 101 goals in 1001 days!) And it's a new list (I absolutely love lists!) But I like lists that I can try to actually accomplish. That's why I keep my New Year's Resolutions short, sweet, and to the point.

So here are a few of my New Year's Resolutions! Comment some of yours. I'm always looking for some great ideas!

1. Get to know God better.
2. Eat healthier.
3. Drink more water.
4. Make a difference in someone's life.
5. Make a journal smash book.