Freedom Reigns in this place

About a week ago I was asked by my close friend and youth pastor to preach today. Over the past week I've really struggled with what to actually preach on. The thing about it is I knew that I was supposed to preach on desperation, but I was really fighting God about it. Here's the thing, it has really challenged me and it has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, just totally stepping out in faith. I could have preached on desperation, or I could have preached on something that came easy to me like for insistence walking by faith, or loving those who treat you badly. Then it hit me like getting hit upside the head with a pillow case full of bricks, that if I changed my topic then how am I supposed to teach them about walking by faith when I myself can't even walk fully by faith.
The best part about all of it is that when I was praying last night God spoke to me and told me that there is freedom that is coming right around the corner, not to give up to continue to press in. Keep pressing into Him and seeking His face. I don't know who it's for, nor do I have to. All I do have to know is that someone is needing to hear it. God is going to move in that place tonight and is finally going to get a hold of those students who are going to finally let go of themselves. Let me just leave you with this food for thought...when are we going to finally let go, when are we finally going to let God be our all in all? God bless!

Come Be the Fire Inside of Me

"Come be the fire inside of me, come be the flame upon my heart, come be the fire inside of me, until you and I are one..." This song by Misty Edwards describes exactly how I want God to be! I want Him to be that fire, that never stops ceasing, that fire that won't ever go out, no matter what you try to do. God is good and His mercy is never ceasing. We should burn with a fire deep down that won't ever extinguish. That fire that everyone sees and whats so badly! Recently I have been challenged time after time about my fire, and never letting it go out, not for anything or anyone. When I think about fire I think about this song by Misty Edwards. About how we as Christians so many times let our fire go out, but more importantly never letting the fire completely consume you and seeing the full force of what it can do! That should always be our prayer. We should just want and hunger for God in a new way. To be totally desperate is to be on our knees before God giving Him everything we have, allowing Him to fully consume us! To be that fire inside of us until we are one! I know it's hard to let it fully consume you, to give up everything for God, but let me tell you it's worth every pain, every hurt, every tear that you may cry. God is worth it! That's my prayer right now for everyone....Lord that you would consume us...You would be that fire inside of me, that flame upon our hearts! Lord move through us and refresh and renew! Lord you are so worthy and I know for one I don't deserve your love, but yet you reach down to me and wrap me in your arms. You hold my every moment and you call my raging seas! Lord be with us now...that we want to walk right behind you so get the dust because you are so holy! Lord may you just be glorified!! I thank you and love you!! God bless my brothers and sisters in Christ!

We Need to Get Back to the Basics of Life

Wouldn't it be nice to just go back to your very first day of school? Go back to kindergarten, spend half the day and be able to run back to Mom and Dad at the end of school. Classes started yesterday for most college kids, but to say the least I wish I was able to go back to kindergarten all over again. When life was so much easier, no worries, when I could just sit in my mom or dad's lap and know that everything was going to be ok, because I had them. While I can't exactly run home and sit in their lap anymore, I can sit in my Father's lap and trust in Him that everything is going to be ok! I have missed chapel so much this summer and the past couple of days of chapel have been amazing! God was in the mist and His Spirit is going to fall....This is our year at CBC when we are going to see revival and are going to see amazing this happen at CBC! The question is are you ready?! Are you ready for God to move? Are you willing to see Him move?! Like it or not, God is going to fall, but how far are you willing to go? Pastor Baker had it so right today in chapel when he asked several questions, but for me how far are you willing to go?! I know I have held back from God several times, because of fear or what have you, but not this year! God is going to have it all!

There is healing and restoration that God brings that nothing in this world could ever bring. There is nothing in this world that can take away the pain that you and I have gone through, except for God's love! It blows my mind how much pain Jesus went through just for me! It is mind boggaling and I could never have done it, but yet He did. Why you may ask me?! Because God knows that we are worth it, we are worth so much more than we can ever imagine. I think about what it's going to be like when I get to Heaven. I have to admit I'm scared. I haven't lived my life yet, but then I think of how I'm going to fall at His feet and worship Him. I want to hear Him say to me, good job my child. I think that when we get there, and we start worshipping Him, how God is going to cry and tell us that it was all worth it! To live with Him forever in paradise. How amazing that day is going to be! I pray though for now, that we would just be desperate for Him, to see Him move, to never hold back! To not be ashamed of who we are in Him! May you be blessed this day!

Now That's What I'm Talking About

It was such a nice four day weekend, and I wish it was more often that I could get away and head to the beach just to relax, think, and work everything out. This Thursday I was able to take a four day weekend and head to the beach and spend some time with my grandparents. Although it was a short visit it was much needed and much appreciated. I love spending time with them because you learn life lessons and not only that you can see the steps that they took in life and what got them where they are today.

Not only was I able to spend time with them, but I also got to spend time with the Lord. It's not as much as I would have liked, but there was a quite place where I could meet with Him and find somewhat of my center again. I've been running and running and I was able to chase my breath. Now I have less than a month until I have to return back to school and I have less than a month to spend with my family. It's always hard leaving because I really love my family. Yeah we're not perfect, but we're family and what family is?! It reminds me of Lilo and Stitch when Stitch is talking Lilo's sister and he says "Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten." It is such a great line from the movie. I know it's not easy, but it takes work from everyone, learn to appreciate, to love, and how to care for each other. God bless

"What Do You Do...?"

What do you do in times when you have to face fear, stay strong, and be a support system all at once? Lately I have found myself in this situation. It humbles you and you find that you really do have patience after all. It has been one thing after the other, I know that God is right here with me walking beside me holding my hand, but it's just hard to see! I know for one it's hard not to have doubts in times like these, and more importantly it's hard to trust because you think to yourself "if there is a God then why is he letting this bad stuff happen to me?" Let me tell you right now, God doesn't ever let bad things happen to people. God is the Creator of all good and wonderful things, He never created anything that was bad, the devil did. God doesn't let bad things happen to us, we do that all the time. He sends out warning signals and buzzers and has alarms that go off, but we ignore them all and just keep going. We commit sins and we do everything wrong, until we get to the point where it hits us that there is something wrong. When we commit sin there is judgement, but it's not when we get to Heaven when we finally receive it, it's here on Earth that we do. For every action there is a reaction.

It pains Him to see us struggle and fall and it hurts Him when we hurt. He can't stop it until we cry out to Him, to admit that we have sinned and have fallen short. His forgiveness is instant, and He casts it all into the sea of forgetfulness never to think of it again. To make us white as snow to His eye. Friends you are not alone in your struggles today, you are being cared for by someone greater and by the one who made you and crafted you while you were still in your mother's womb. The God who calls you each and everyday to lay down your nets and follow Him. The One who wants a relationship with you, the one who tells you everyday that He loves you and cares for you even when we turn our ears off! May God continue to bless you and pour out into your life. Receive all that he has for you! Be blessed and stay strong my brothers and sisters....God bless!

I Can See Clearly Now...

Have you ever had a weird dream? I'm sure you have, but have you had them for about a week or two straight?! Well lately I have had nothing but weird dreams and to say the least at first they don't make sense, but once I sit down and pray about it, it's like the veil has been lifted and I can see clearly now! I won't get into any specifics, but they have been off the wall. God has been revealing a lot to me the last couple of weeks, and I'm so thankful for that! At the same time God has challenged me to a lot as well. It amazes me every time that God truly speaks to me because it's never the same twice. Each time it gets louder and louder, but you also get attacked by the enemy because you know that you are close to God and you're about to do great things for God and the enemy is trying to get you off track and get you distracted. Stay focused on the prized that God has in store for you and know that you're not going through it alone for you and for two that it makes you stronger. I know it's hard to hear that when you're actually going through it because you feel all alone, but I would advise everyone to read Footprints in the Sand, that talks about how God is walking beside you and when you feel like there is no one there and you only see one set of footprints, it's because God is the one carrying you through it! Stay strong and encouraged! Have a blessed day!!

What Determines Your....

"Happiness is: Not a sale or a commission. Not an economy or a budget. Not a yes or a no. Not a game winning hit or a last second touchdown. Happiness is a way of life that is inside you at all times. It helps you get over the tough times, and helps you celebrate the special times." I got this in an email that my mom had sent me today. In it, it asks you several rhetorical questions about what is holding you back from being happy. One of the main things that people often say that is one of the biggest reasons for them not being happy is the word "after." We often say "well after a new job, or after a new house, a new car...." but that's not what's really holding us back. We are holding ourselves back. We long to be happy, to have peace and to fill a void that lies deep within us, but nothing can fill that gap or void except God. Once we are His there is an amazing joy and happiness that nothing on this earth can or could ever possibly fill or compare to.

Happiness can not be bought or sold, it's not something that you find on a grocery store shelf. Maybe you can find it at the grocery store in a smile or a helping hand. When a complete stranger is walking by and offers to bring your empty cart up for you. Happiness is something that we as humans long for, all of us. We want to feel that we belong somewhere. We want to feel include and we want to more importantly feel loved. Many of us feel that we only get happiness when we have a husband, or children, a nice house, the newest car, when we are equal to the Jones'. In God there is hope, peace, love and more importantly happiness. Trust and He will lead you and make your path known to you! Stay strong and God bless....