Power of Prayer

"God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. By His hands we all are fed, give us Lord our daily bread. In Jesus, amen."

"Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. In Jesus name, amen."

The above 2 prayers are probably ones that you used as a child, and possibly passed on to your children.

While these model prayers are great tools to teach children about prayer, they are just that...models.


As we grow up, so should our prayers. The stronger we become in our faith, the stronger our prayer life should be. The more intimate we become with out Savior, the more intimate our conversation should be.

Imagine speaking to you spouse/ best friend now the same way you spoke to them when you first met them.
Your relationship wouldn't last very long would it?

You want to see the power of God poured out on your life?
Then pray.

You to be blessed beyond all measure?
Then pray. 

Recent surveys have given us the following statistics:

• An average Christian prays 3-7 minutes a day (including meal time prayers).
• 37 percent of people say they pray at least once a day.
• 33 percent of Christian adults regularly participate in a prayer group or other meeting that has a focus on prayer
• Average Protestant minister prays for 39 minutes a day; 21% typically spend 15 minutes or less per day.

At first glance the statistics may not trigger any alarms, but take a second look.
Less than half of all the people claiming to be Christians pry at least once a day!
And when they do pray, they spend a TOTAL of 3-7 minutes.

No wonder our nation and our lives are under such great attack! We have given up our most valuable weapon against the enemy and traded it for a little BB gun!!

You may say,
"But I don't have time to pray! I'm a very busy person."

To that argument I once again look to the statistics.

On a typical day, the average American spends:

• 2.7 hours watching Tv
• 25 minutes playing games
• 18 minutes reading
• 38 minutes socializing and communicating with friends

If you ask me, it's not a matter of not enough time....It's a matter of not having a properly established list of priorities!

"Well, I've tried the whole praying thing. It didn't work for me. God doesn't listen to me."

God listens to everyone. If you are His child, He will listen to you and He will answer you.
Sometimes, it all boils down to whether or not you believe He will.

I tell you right now, if you go to Him with the attitude of "He isn't going to answer me, this is pointless, this is  waste of time."....don't expect much back. You need to approach prayer with a genuine and humbled heart.

I don't want to sound all high and mighty, to be honest I've felt the previous way before, I didn't believe it worked for me, He wasn't listening. I quickly can to understand though that He heard me, but my heart wasn't right.

The most powerful prayer warrior I have in my close circle of friends is my best friend Paula. Paula is the woman I go to for everything. If I need prayers, I call her immediately.

She prayed for God to get my attention not to long ago, and boy did He ever answer that prayer!

Just look back to one of my earlier posts, "Modern Day Miracles", and see how God answered her prayers and rescued 7 members of her family for the ocean.

Now, I'm not using this post to brag on her...All though I will admit I love her very much...

What I'm getting at my pointing her out is the fact that God will answer you if you pray with the right heart.

I know her heart is genuine and humbled. I know she deeply loves the Lord and I know those are the reasons why her prayers are so quickly and readily answered.

You may be thinking to yourself now.
"OK Racheal, you have convinced me. I do have the time, and when I did try I didn't go bout it with the right attitude. Please, tell me when and what to pray."

That's an easy one...
When?
All the time! (Luke 18:1, Luke 21:36, Ephesians 6:18, 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
What?
Whatever the Lord my lay on your heart. Pray for lost souls, people who are struggling, you leadership, pray for your family/friends, pray for you enemies, and pray for yourself (no that's not selfish.).

Increase you prayer time and strength and see if you will not be blessed abundantly for it!!

Where there is NO PRAYER, THERE IS NO POWER!

 Failure in prayer is due to fault in the heart.

Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden.

In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart.

Prayer is not an old woman's idle amusement. Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action


Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

He Will Give You Peace

 It's easy to feel peace when everything is going just the right way, isn't it?

You and your significant other have an amazing relationship.

Work is going great, you even might get that promotion you want.

You kids are getting all A's in every subject.

Your house is spotless and you wallet it full.



It's easy to feel at peace. And BAM all of a sudden are confronted with a huge conflict that you weren't expecting...

You get laid off of work.....you get in a fight with you closest friend...you get hurt and have to make an un-expected trip to the emergency room and wipe out your entire savings....or someone passes on....

We begin to feel like we are at war. We cry out in the midst of the battle, "I give up! I just was some peace!"

I can tell you, I have felt like screaming that a few times over the past few days. It's not worth it...I give up...give me some peace.

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine during my lunch break not too long ago and we got to talking about Christmas. I asked her what she wanted and she kinda chuckled and replied, "Peace."
To which I replied, "No, I mean something I can actually get you."

That conversation lingered in my head for a while.

I wanted to be able to get her whatever she requested, but 'peace'.... that's something I physically wasn't able to give her.

Days have passed and Christmas inches ever so closer.. Christmas music playing 24/7 on the radio, Hymns sung in church and passages from Luke posted in the form of pictures all over social media outlets. Seems like 'peace' was popping up everywhere!

My friend wasn't the only one requesting peace this holiday season.

Everyone stating all I want for Christmas this year is, "Peace on earth and good will to men"

Hymns, scripture, and other songs all referred to 'peace on earth'

Now I could be wrong in the next thing I'm about to say, but what struck me after spending a little time pondering this was that 'peace on earth' is always brought up around Christmas time....the time when Jesus, came to earth.

So maybe it isn't talking about literal peace as in nations ceasing wars and there never being any more conflicts arise. Maybe it was simply annoucing the birth of Peace (Jesus) on earth.

After all He is called the "Prince of Peace" so it makes since.

See, Jesus has come to give the believers peace. Will life be perfect all the time? No. Will we still have conflict and trials? Yes. But in the midst of the trails and conflict we can have a peace even though we may not be able to understand it.

Philippians 4:7
             "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

I love the way "Echoing Angles" stated it in their song "Give You Peace"
They said:

"He will give you peace, when the walls come crashing down.

He will give you peace through the night

When you've had all you can take

Can't face another day

He will give you peace

He'll give you peace"

Another funny thing I came accross was this definition of peace:
" a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict and the freedom from fear of violence."

The phrase "freedom from fear" stands out in that to me. It tells me that there may still be some violence (trails, conflict, etc.), but if I have peace then I don't have to FEAR it.

And what is the opposite of fear? faith. So if you have faith then you won't have fear, and if you don't have fear then you can have peace.

Wow!  Even in the darkest days. Even when we don't understand why certain things are happening. Even when people are doing things we don't agree with. Even when our life seems to be going the opposite way than the way we would like it to go...We can still have faith. We can still have peace. Because God is the author of peace and He wants to give it to those who believe in His name.

So this holiday season (CHRISTmas Season)
Remember that true peace is nothing you can find in human offerings.
True peace is not something you can find in circumstances.
And true peace isn't something that only exists in December.

True peace is a gift from Gos that we can claim on a daily basis.
In any situation. In any stage of life.

Have Faith. Have Peace.

No God, No Peace. Know God, Know Peace

Dear God, Please send to me the spirit of Your peace.

Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it

 

 Live...Laugh...Love

Until Next Time, 

Racheal <3

Being Held Accountable

We are all held accountable by others.

Students are held accountable to study by pop quizzes.

Employees are held accountable through performance evaluations at work.

Kids are held accountable by printed chore lists.

Christians are held accountable by small groups and and ministries.

Friends are held accountable by friends.


This post will some what go hand and hand with my previous post on approval, but not quite. It is different enough thought to merit it's own post.

I've been thinking about this topic a lot recently in many different aspects.

In a recent conversation with my best friend she made a simple request, "If you see me doing something I shouldn't be doing, call me out on it."

My first response was, "I'm not going to do that. I can't do that." My second response was, "I don't want her to think that I'm judging her, cause believe me I am the last person to point out something in someone else."

Why did I respond that way? Because I knew if I called her out, that would open the doors wide open for her to call me out....and to be completely honest, I didn't want to have my flaws and mistakes brought out into the light.

Well, my plan didn't work quite the way I thought it would, she called me out on a few things (mainly my reading of horoscopes....but that's another post for another day). And I didn't know how to respond.

Looking at the situation though through the proper set of eyes, I realized in that very moment how thankful I am to have a friend to hold me accountable. Someone who knows my weakest areas and is willing to step up and say "I don't agree with what you are doing." and not just that she doesn't agree, she gives me scripture verses to back up what she is saying.

The more I began studying accountability, the more I came to the conclusion that God expects
 his children to hold each other accountable. He wants us to sharpen each other and call each other out because He want our focus to remain to on Him and sometimes someone saying "what are you doing?? stop it!" is exactly what we need to get out focus and concentration back where it should be.

Some verse I found that lead me to this conclusion are:

Proverbs 27:17
          Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. 

Matthew 18:15-16
          If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 

James 5:16
          Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 

Luke 17:3
          Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

 And that is just a few of many.

And it doesn't have to be big issues of life and death that you can hold others accountable on.

Questions like,
"Have you had your quiet time with the Lord today?"
"Where were you on Sunday? Missed you at church."
"Is there anything I can pray for you about?"

These are all ways to hold others accountable.

I thank God for all the people in my life who hold me accountable in so many different areas of my life (spiritually and no-spiritually)

My boss, who holds me accountable when it comes to having a good work ethic.
My doctor, who holds me accountable when it comes to improving my over all health.
My gym buddy, who holds me accountable to give my work out all that I've got.
My pastor, who holds me accountable to keep the faith
My parents, who holds me accountable when it comes to honoring responsibilty
And my best friend, who....well, holds me accountable for EVERYTHING! (lol)

I mean let's be honest how many of us would do our absolute best if we knew nobody was watching?
That's what I thought.

Hold others accountable and allow others to hold you accountable
It's a huge blessing!

A body of men holding themselves accountable to nobody ought not to be trusted by anybody.

When it comes to privacy and accountability, people always demand the former for themselves and the latter for everyone else.

Accountability breeds responsibility.


Live...Laugh....Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Approved

It's human nature to want to have the approval of others.

From the time we are infants, we recieve praise for the good things we do.

First roll over, sitting up on our own, standing up, taking first steps, and using the big kid potty just to name a few of the achievements we accomplish at young ages that merit praise and a pat on the back.

As we get older we still accomplish things and stll expect the same praise and congrats.

In kindergarten and elementary school, earning gold stars for good behavior was a huge deal!!

As we got older....there was allowance for doing chores and special gifts and privileges for getting on the A honor roll.

It's clear to see that from a young age, human beings are wired desire approval.

And that continues into adult hood.

Employee of the month, promotions, and raises at work are just a couple examples of adults receiving pats on the backs for good work. It's a way that an employer says, "I'm proud of you for all the hard work you put into this company and I want to recognize you for it."

On the flip side, the same people that can be proud of you and praise you at one point in time....can be disappointed in you and scold you at another point in time.

As a young kid it's stuff like hitting and biting.
And as a teen/adult it could be lying and cheating.

Having privileges taken away. Being lectured. Or even getting fired from a job. It's all ways of saying "I don't approve of your behavior, and I will not tolerate it."

Ask anyone of any age which they prefer and it will most likely be anonymous that approval is enjoyed a lot more than disappointment,

So in an effort to remain in the approval of others we do what ever it takes to please them. Sometimes to the point of physically and emotionally exhausting ourselves. And sometimes we become so focused on it that we find ourselves obsessed because we fear losing that approval (and ultimately that person's love).

We kiss butt, we try extra hard in our duties, and we go above and beyond what is asked of us to hear those 4 prized words, "I'm proud of you."

We sometimes get so caught up though in trying to please fellow humans that we place pleasing God on the back burner,

Just as humans have set in place certain expectations for other humans, God has set in place certain expectations for us to follow.

And when we place the approval of others on a higher pedestal than the approval of God, we can find ourselves in a dangerous situation.....especially if the task required to gain the approval of a fellow man contradicts the laws of the Lord.

The Bible makes it clear that all of his children are to be witnesses to His name and to spread the Gospel to those all over the world. And id we are faithful to follow through in the things God commands of us, we will one day be able to hear Him say to us "Well done thou good and faithful servant".

If you ask me, to hear Christ call me "good and faithful" would be the best approval of all.

To have the Lord of everything pat you on the back and say, "I'm proud of you. Thank you for obeying my commands." is the best form of approval anyone could ever have!

Don't get me wrong. Human approval is much desired and greatly appreciated. But don't let it consume your life and don't make it your number one goal.

There are more important things in life than earthly gold stars and thumbs up.
Don't lose yourself trying to please others. Self approval is just as important. If people are proud of you, but you are miserable....what good has really been achieved? 

And always, ALWAYS keep God first.

Do not look for approval except for the consciousness of doing your best.

Spanking and verbal criticism have become, to many parents, more important tools of child rearing than approval.

Courage, not compromise, brings the smile of God's approval.

People striving for approval from others become phony.

 Live....Laugh....Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

What Is Real?

As you very well know, the title of this Blog is, "What If We Were Real?"

The inspiration for the title came from a song by Mandisa by the same name "What If We Were Real?"

But what does it mean to be real?


In this post I am going to explain what I think that question means.





Back in August I had the opportunity to attend a Beth Moore: Living Proof Conference with some ladies from my church.

As I listened to her speak, I felt like she was talking straight to me. Not over my head, not below me, and not at me...but to me.

She laughed. She wept. She shouted. She was alive and full of energy. When the band came on stage for worship she was right there with them praising Gos and singing.

During one of the breaks, a friend of mine made the comment "I just love watching Beth, she is so real. You can tell she has a heart for what she does."

That comment still rings through my head now, nearly 2 months later.

I want to be like Beth! I want be thought of as "real"

But how?

Well first of all we need to admit we aren't perfect.

We need to get it out of our heads that we are some type of super human beings that can handle everything by ourself.
Even Beth doesn't do it all.

She has Travis to lead worship
She has camera men/women
She has publishers, web designers, and booking agents
And I guarantee you she has a strong support of friends and family to lend a hand when the need arises.

Second, we need not care what people think of us.

Beth is a speaker....a poised professional speaker, that just so happened to join in on stage during worship even though she claimed to not be a singer.

So many of us are afraid to do anything fun or out of the ordinary just because people might think we are weird! Let them! At least you are having fun. The Bible even says we should be a peculiar people.
Why focus on being serious all the time? There is time to play regardless of what people say,

Thirdly, Be open and sympathetic.

We need to show concern for others.
How can we expect others to be open with us if we show no sympathy....and how can we expect others to sympathize with us if we don't share our burdens?
It all goes back to point one....we aren't perfect and we need not claim to be. It's ok to show weakness.
In fact sometimes, and I am stating this from experience, It takes more courage and guts to open up than it does to keep everything bottled up

and lastly, we need to remember that main purpose.

Just like I said in my last post, its not about earthly things. If we want to be real for God, we need to be a constant witness of His goodness.  We need to share the good things He does for us and praise His name. We need to remember that saving souls should be our number one focus.

In closing.

It takes a lot to become real.
We are all born real, but society puts us in a little box that says we have to be a certain way and do things a certain way. We become like everyone else, so....cookie cutter in a way. We aren't the real people God vreated us to be.

We become copies of what societies idea of real is which is the opposite of God's idea of real.

I once heard it said that one of the hardest things to do is to stand up in the midst of a fake world and be real....

God made you special. Not perfect and not self-sufficient. He made us to be real, and He wants us to stay that way.


Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

What Matters Most

Tonight concluded a four day long series of revival services at my church.

And let me just be completely honest with you, the Lord is doing something great in the midst of His people.

I went into the revival with the attitude of "bless me if you can"....an attitude that doesn't get you much of any where.

I was letting little comments tick me off.
I was bringing outside drama into the sanctuary, that didn't need to be there.

I sat with my arms crossed and warmed a seat until the closing prayer was said and I could leave.


Satan had his hand over my eyes and he was blinding me to the reality of what was going on around me.

He told me the lie that since the revival theme was "Biblical Basics" that there wasn't anything I could get out of it.

"You have been in church your whole life....why do you need to sit and hear the basics all over again."
That was the lie, and that's what I believed.

I was ready for it to be over! I wanted my evenings back. I was tired.

Lucky though for me, a good friend had been praying for God to get my attention.
And slowly yet surely, my wall began to crumble...til at the end I was balling my eyes out (along with everyone else).

Guys, I saw 7 teenagers come to know Christ tonight as their personal Lord and Savior. Count them 7!!!
TALK ABOUT A MIRACLE!!!

Kinda puts everything else into perspective a little more if you ask me.

I've heard people talking a lot about reasons why they chose a certain church over another.
Some of the more recent ones are...

• the type of music
• size of the congregation 
• the pastor's preaching style
• activities
• and my personal favorite.....which one has the best restaurants nearby 

We have lost our focus!
Is the church harvesting souls??? Is the church preaching the truth with authority??
Those are the questions we should ask!

I will admit, my church isn't the largest church in the world, or in the country, or the state, or the city, or even on the street... and by some people's standards, it could even be classified as tiny.

I caught myself becoming a little jealous at the beginning of tonight's service.
I was coveting the numbers and talents found in a another local church. (how silly)
Caught myself wondering that maybe if we had more people....we would have more of God.
(which isn't the case, because the Bible clearly says that where 2 are gathered in His name He is there with them.)

But I tell you what. I have seen God do more in my tiny church over the past couple weeks than I have ever seen Him do! There is no denying His presence is flowing freely in the midst of our people. He is touching and changing lives on a weekly basis.

The revival week has come to an end. Life is going back to normal. (whatever that is)
Commitments and decisions were made. But will they be stuck with?
Thank God that even though the services are over, He is still sticking around.
Lord knows He ain't finished with me yet.
He is never really finished with any of us. Not until He returns or calls us home.

Until that time comes.
Remember what matters the most.

This post wasn't just meant just to brag on my church, it was meant to brag on the God my church serves.
It was meant to help me and anyone else to re-focus their minds on what truly matters.


Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Where Are You God?

When times are going good, God is pushed aside and forgotten....but when times are bad everyone wants to know where He went.

The truth is, He never left. He is exactly where He has always been and will always be.

He never changes, we are the ones who change,

God gave us a free will to choose whether we want Him in our life or not.

He isn't going to push Himself into your life if you don't want Him there.


Today is the 11th anniversary of 9/11 (The attack on America) and I can't help but think back to that day.
A country was attacked. Hearts were broken. Lives were lost. And people from all over dropped their differences and bound together to help those effected.

But one question asked by many was, "Where was God?".
Why would God allow something so devastating to happen?

The truth is....
America kicked God out of their schools, the government, and the public spot light.
People fought for the separation of "church and state" and argued that God had no place in the public spot light because religion is a "private matter"

You want to know how to see God's powerful and merciful hand on our country again?

2 Corinthians 7:14
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

The Bible is clear what we need to do to see that happen.....

• Humble ourselves
• Pray
• Seek His face 
• Turn from their wicked ways

But we don't want to do that, do we?

We don't want to humble oursleves, because we think we are all that. We think we can handle anything and everything. We don't want to pray, that's njust a waste of time. We don't want to seek His face, because if we did and actually found Him...we might be redeemed and asked to do the last step and turn from our wicked ways... and we definitely don't want to have to do that.

We like living in or sins. It feels good. 
We want to have fun. We want to drink what we want, smoke what we want, say what we want, and love who we want.
And we honestly think God is going to allow us to do that.
But guess what, He won't. Especially if we still claim to be a "Christian Nation". God will not allow His name to be dishonored.
And God can't stand to see His creation living in such defiance to His will.
Just remember what happened in the time of Noah and that time of Sodom and Gomorrah.

If we want to see God's hand back on us as a nation, we need to to repent and turn back to Him fully.
He isn't just a good luck charm that we can pull out when we want things to go our way.

Our nation and world is headed for total disaster if Christians don't wake up and do something about.

I know I got off topic a little bit there, but to get back to the main question of this post.
"Where is God?"

God never left us, we left Him.

The Bible says in Revelation that He stands at the door and knocks. God isn't going to force us to let Him in. But trust me He wants us to let Him in, cause He can't stand to see us in the condition we are in.

Will you let God in so that He can begin a work healing our land?
Just like one candle can light many more candles with out it's fire going out, so by letting God in your life you can reach others for Him and we can rebuild our country with God's helps.

Let Him do what He does best, let Him heal and repair what we have broken. He wants to so badly!



Dear God, 
Why so you allow so much violence in our schools and community?
Signed, 
A Concerned Student

Dear Concerned Student,
There are many reasons that I 'allow' violence in your schools and community. The main reason is that parents no longer discipline their children. I told them that the man that spareth the rod hateth his child, but they do not listen to me any longer. They listen instead to those who claim that to use the rod on their child is abuse. As usual, their disobedience has brought about disaster. Their children run as they please. They steal, deal drugs, abuse other people, kill, maim and destroy. They are haters of God and all things holy. They commit fornication with all things that are unclean and abominable. They have taken my name out of schools, and want my name off of everything else that they can think of.
I have not done these things. People have done these things. Until my Son comes back there in all His power and glory to take peace from the earth, only those that love me and keep my commandments will be spared the violence you speak of.
Repent and live the way my Son Jesus told you of. It is the one way to escape the judgement that will soon befall the earth.
Love,
God


Live..Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

How Will You Be Remembered?

Today while reading a book, I cam across a simple yet profound quote....

"How would your epitaph read if God Himself were to write it?"

That really got me thinking

None of us are promised a tomorrow.
None of us are promised another minute.
And chances are if you are reading this, then 100 years from now you will be dead (and so will I).

When our time is up how will we be remembered?


Have you ever walked through a cemetery and read the writing on some of the the grave markers?
I have.

You can figure out how old they were.
You can see if they were male of female.
Sometimes you can tell if they were married or had children.
And sometimes little messages are even left summing up who they were.

But out of everything on the marker, the most important thing is the dash between the birth date and the death date.

That dash represents everything that person did in their whole life. From the time they took their first breath to the last they took their last.

And when we (the living) look upon the dash of deceased loved ones, our minds are flooded with memories.

In the same respect, when were are dead and gone...people will look at our dashes and remember things about our lives.

When people remember us it won't matter what car we drove, what brand our clothes were, or how many figures we made a year.

They will remember whether or not they were giving or selfish, kind or rude, sympathetic or apathetic, and if they really cared about the well-fare of other or if they just cared about getting ahead.

As Christians we are called the be a peculiar people. We are instructed to lay up treasures in heaven not on earth. We are instructed to keep our main focus on the goal set ahead of us, to bring souls to Christ.

When you stand before the Lord on judgement day, is He going to care more about the 10 gold medals  you won...of the 10 lost and dying souls you shared the gospel with?

This is not our final home, it is only temporary. We are just passing through for a short while. 

I would like to think that when I arrive on the shores of heaven, God can look at me and say "Well done my child. You remained faithful and loyal to the purpose I had for you. Enter into the joy of your salvation."

I would also like to think that any loved ones I may leave behind me on earth would be able to say postive things about my life on earth. That I was kind hearted and loving and thoughtful. That I put other's needs ahead of my own and served the Lord faithfully. That I had a fire in my life, and people could tell by the way I spoke and carried myself that I was different.

What about you?

How will people remember you on your funeral day?
How will they remember you 10 years later?
15?
25?
50?

Will they remember you at all?
Are you living in such a way that your existence merits remembering?

If you had the opportunity to write your own epitaph, what would you say about the may you lived?
What would your friends and family write for your epitaph?
What would God write for your epitaph?

"Sometimes I think what will people think of me, when I'm only just a memory. When I'm home where my soul belongs."

"After I'm dead I'd rather have people ask why I have no monument than why I have one."

" An epitaph is a belated advertisement for a line of goods that has been discontinued."

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

What's Your Story?

Let me start off by saying this was the not the original post that came to my mind to do tonight. The original post was going to be titled "Reflections" and it was going to go into the various points of thanks and regrets we have as be look back on our lives.

But as the night progressed and conversation became deep and intense (the type of conversations I love to have!) more important matters arose.

I guess to get you all up to speed I should probably take you back to this morning.

Happy Birthday to me......

Typical birthday morning, typical thoughts that go through your head the older you get....What did I really do in the past year, the past 365 days, that have made ANY difference whatsoever? What have I accomplished? And how close am I to meeting and of my long term goals? What stories did I make to tell?

I have this dream of one day becoming an inspirational Christian Women's Speaker.  There's only one thing though, all those women...I mean ALL those women have extraordinary stories that they can tell and tell over and over again and they never get old! I remember thinking to myself, "I need a story! I have no story!"

That was until a dear friend of mine looked me in the eyes tonight and said, "You have a story, and it is just beginning. God has plans for you."

At that moment I was speechless (which is rare).

I pondered that thought for a while...

God is the author of the book of each of our lives and who are we to tell Him that He isn't writing it the right way?

We are each unique.

Some of our stories are mysteries, some are dramas, some are action/adventure, some are suspense, and some are easy reading.

But each story is important and each story can make a difference in someone else's life if it's just told.

You may think that your story is nothing special and you would be wrong.

And as long as there is breath in your lungs and as long as your heart is still breathing inside your chest, your story is still be written.

When it somes to looking back, that's OK every once and a while. We need to remember where we were and where God brought us from, but we don't need to dwell on it.

How can you move on to the next chapeter if you are stuck re-reading the last one?

I know this post was a little different than what I normally do.I know ir is a lot of open ended questions and I know it is shorter and less Biblically based, but it still holds some truth, at least it does for me. And I want you to ponder the same things I've been pondering.

If your story is exciting, it will grab people's attention.
But if your story is typical and 'boring', people can relate to it.

Either way, God is using it for His glory, and until He decides to write "The End" you need to keep on reading...you never know what twists and turns He still has in store.

Thank God I'm not where I used to be, and Thank God that He isn't finished with me yet.
He started a work in me and He promised He wouldn't leave it incomplete.

Happy reading friends!

Peer Pressure

"BUT EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT!"

How many times have you said that or heard someone else say it?

Like I've said before, we all want to fit in. No one wants to be the outcast.

And sometimes to fit into that mold, we feel like we have to compromise our convictions to do so.

Let's start of by discussing what peer pressure is?

It is defined as:
           "The influence that peers can have on each other. The term 'pressure' implies that the process influences people to do things that may be resistant to, or might not otherwise choose to do."

Peer pressure normally affects the teen age group, but can even affect us as adults.

You get invited to a party where you know there will be under age drinking...Do you go because your friends are?
Your boyfriend/girlfriend wants you to go all the way with them...Do you do it so they don't leave you for some one who will?
You are struggling to keep your language clean, but everyone in your group uses profanity...Do you cuss so you don't seem uncool?
Everyone is picking on that one person who kinda smells and has no friends...Do you join it to keep from being picked on as well?
Your friend isn't a Christian...So do you keep your mouth shut to avoid persecution?

We know we shouldn't give in but sadly most of the time we do.
But what does the Bible say about falling into peer pressure?

Galatians 1:10-  For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Romans 12:2-  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Proverbs 1:10-  My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 

Matthew 26:41-  Stay awake and pray, so that you won’t enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

1 Corinthians 15:33- Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.

It seems pretty evident that if we are a Christian, we should flee from the pressure of our peers to do things which are against the will of God.

If a friend, co-worker, or family member puts us in the position to consider compromising our moral convictions...we should run, because our flesh is weak and willing to give in.

We should also examine who we associate with on a daily basis. Corinthians tells us that bad company ruins good morals. You make think, "I can change them. They may not be the best influence on me, but I can be on them. I can bring them to church and...."
Yes, you may be able to be a good influence on them.
Yes you may be able to get them to come to church.
Yes you can be friends with, but that should be all you are until something changes.
"Do not be un-equally yoked together with unbelievers." If you know they aren't a Christian, you should not venture into any deeper relationship than just friends, but that discussion I will save for another post at a later date.

Now....Is all pressure from our peers bad? No.
WHAT?
You heard me, not all peer pressure is negative.
Re-read the definition, "...influences people to do things that may be resistant to..."

It all depends on the influences you allow into you life.
If your best friend is a devote Christian person, they may pressure you to share your faith, read your Bible, step up into a leadership position at your church....all things you may be resistant to do because of various reason. Whether you have low confidence, are shy, or just don't know  your capabilities.

If you associate yourself with the right kind of people, they can put pressure on you to become the best you that you can be.

Proverbs 21:17- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

 So in conclusion. Can peer pressure be bad? Yes
Can it be good? Yes
It all depends on the situation and the people involved in the situation.
You need to use you disernment and pray about what's going on.

You need to worry more about pleasing God in you decisions than pleasing people.
Because when your time comes to an end and you stand before a holy God which is going to be more important?
The fact that you hung with the "in crowd" and was "popular", or the fact that you were a good servant of Christ and fulfilled His laws and obeyed His commandments?

Please think twice before giving into the negative pressures that come your way.
Don't only avoid the negative influences of others, but don't BE a negative influence.

The ugly reality is that peer pressure reaches its greatest intensity at just the age when kids tend to be most insensitive and cruel.

No one is immune to peer pressure

Hermits have no peer pressure

 
Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Judge Not

There has been a quote circulating facebook a lot recently since the whole Chick-fil-a debate started.

It has been pasted as statuses, comments, and even pictures. It has recieved multiple likes, comments, and shares.

It says:
"Don't judge someone  just because they sin differently than you do."

Wow! What a profound yet simple statement.


 This really got my mind thinking and the more I though about it and talked with others, the more I started to LOVE it!

As Christians sometimes we get caught up in the idea that we aren't as bad as other people.
We read our Bibles
We pray
We go to chruch
We listen to the Christian radio stations
We wear bracelets that say "WWJD"
We even post scripture verses on our facebook statuses

God has to love us more than the "other people" the "heathens" 

WRONG!

He loves us all equally, and just because you do all of the things above doesn't make you a better person.

One thing I learned growing up in a Christian environment was that most people who claim to be a Christian are really good at hiding things from other people.
They have their secret sin. Whether it be pornography, drug addiction, alcohol abuse, or inappropriate music. They have it and they hide it from their "church friends". When they show up to church on Sunday they place their little halo on their head and pretend to be God's gift to the church. They have everyone fooled. no one would believe they struggle with any addiction. Their life just seems so put together.
If you asked the people they work with or the people they party with on Friday nights how they are there, you would be shocked that they were talking about the same person.

And yet these people are usually the first one to point the finger if they see anyone else slip up.

The Westboro Baptist Church (if you can even call them a "church") comes to mind. They prance around picketing funerals and events holding signs that read "God Hates Fags". 1st of all God doesn't 'hate' anyone. If you look up the definition of the word hate it is referring to having an extreme dislike and hostility towards. And If God is love... then how can God also be hate? 2nd did they completely overlook the first verse in Matthew 7 that says "Do not judge"?

Is homosexuality a sin?
Yes...but so is lying, stealing, showing favorites, disrespecting parents, taking the Lord's name in vain, being jealous, gossiping, worrying, and pride. Have you committed any of those sins recently?

The Bible says in James 2:10,
            "For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point is guilty of breaking all of it."

Pretty straight forward isn't? And to clarify the point even more the book of John tells us the story of the adulterous woman:
John 8:1-11,
             "But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn He went to the temple complex again, and all the people were coming to Him. He sat down and began to teach them. Then the scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, making her stand in the center.  “Teacher,” they said to Him, “this woman was caught in the act of committing adultery. In the law Moses commanded us to stone such women.  So what do You say?” They asked this to trap Him, in order that they might have evidence to accuse Him. Jesus stooped down and started writing on the ground with His finger. When they persisted in questioning Him, He stood up and said to them, “The one without sin  among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” Then He stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only He was left, with the woman in the center.  When Jesus stood up, He said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”"

Right there is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.  All these religious men were judging this woman because of a sin she committed, and what was Jesus' response? Basically, if any of you have NEVER in your life committed a single sin then you can throw the first stone of punishment at this woman. And they began to leave, because none of them were perfect they way they expected that woman to be.
The only one at that point who was capable of throwing a stone was Jesus Christ himself, but He didn't did He? No. He showed mercy and love to her. He told her just to go and not to do it again. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again. If Christ is supposed to be our sole example and He made it clear how we are to behave.... how have we gotten so far off track? 

I heard someone say the other day, 
"There won't be gay people in heaven, because there is no such thing as a gay Christian."

I don't know how I feel about that. Because being in the flesh and having our sin nature inside us, we are going to fall. Saying a gay person won't go to heaven is the same as saying a liar won't go to heaven, because both offenses are the same in the eyes of a holy and perfect God. 

I love the song "Jesus Friend of Sinners" by Casting Crowns at one point says:
"Nobody know what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded. What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines, and loved like You did."

 We are all "plank eyed saints with dirty hands and a heart divided."

What if today you crawled down off your high horse and realized that you aren't as great as you think you are. What if you realized the only thing that makes you something at all is the fact that Jesus loves you and lives within you (that's if you have accepted Him) and with out Him you are NOTHING more than dust of the earth He formed you out of.What if you realized that Jesus loves the homosexual, the murderer, the child molester, and the thief, and the drug addict just as much as He loves you. What if you realized that your judgmental attitude was causing way more harm than good and....

What if you realized that when you judge people you have no time to love them.

Jesus spent most of his time with people the religious people of the day called "unclean" and "evil"
He didn't jusge them and He didn't condemn them. He loved them and invested in their lives.
Why can't we do the same? Reach out to someone this week, show them the love of Christ.
If you are struggling with being judgmental, take a good look at your life through the eyes of Christ and ask yourself if you as perfect as you think you are, and then ask Him to forgive you and to give you His love to pass on to others. 

Who are you to judge the life I live? I know I'm not perfect, and I don't claim to be, but before you start pointing fingers... make sure you hands are clean!

Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are.

We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation.

We should be lenient in our judgment, because often the mistakes of others would have been ours had we had the opportunity to make them. 

When we judge or criticize another person, it says nothing about that person; it merely says something about our own need to be critical.

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

I'm Right! You're Wrong!

Like I've  probably said multiple times in this blog... "Everyone has their own opinion", and that's perfectly fine...when it becomes an issue is when someone thinks their opinion is the only right one and everyone else has to see it the same way or they are stupid.

And what does that cause...arguing.
Plain and simple, arguing. 

Have you ever just sat back and watched 2 fully grown 'adults' go at it? It's quite hysterical actually.



And you want to know one of the best places to see this arguing? The internet. Because let's face it, people say and do things over the internet that they would never have the courage to do in the real world.

I mean comments on facebook, youtube, and news articles could entertain you for hours! (Just have a bowl of popcorn near by)

All you have to do is go to website that mentions anything about the following:

1. Politics
2. Religion
3. Pop Culture
4. Morals
5. Global Warming

and....BAM! instant internet debate.

Adults on their computers, hiding behind the security of monitors and keyboards acting the exact way they tell their children not to act.

You want to know how to start and online argument? It's easy....State your opinion and wait

It starts so civil.
"I believe....."
"Well I believe you are wrong for the following reasons and here is where I found that information."
"Your sources are not reliable and your reasoning is flawed for these reasons"
yada yada yada until one or both sides begin to become frustrated and then what do they resort to? name-calling and finger pointing.
Then friends are called in as re-enforcement (or they just show up because they can't resist a good internet debate)
and it's just a down hill spiral from there on.

Fact is,
It's human nature to always want to be right
It's human nature to want to defend yourself and others you love
It's human nature to want to argue because it get the blood pumping and the adrenaline flowing.

But is it always a good idea?

A while back a friend of mine posted a simple status on facebook. Her opinion... and I agreed with it.
Well, someone else didn't agree and made that perfectly clear in his comment to her. But like the above scenario he didn't stick straight to facts and figures, he attacked my friend personally and to me that was NOT ok. 

I replied to him as calmly and cleared minded as I could, even though I was steamed.
I stuck to the facts and explained why I agreed with my friend and disagreed with him.
When he replied to me, once again he fought back with personal attacks. He questioned my beliefs, my reasoning, and my motives...which made my face even  more red with anger.

Right after I recieved a text message from my friend. It read, "Don't reply!"

WHAT?!
I was angry! He disrespected me, he disrespected my friend,and just all around bashed us both.
How could I not respond?
I was right and he needed to know that!
I was not the one with questionable motives and beliefs, he was!
And I knew exactly what buttons to push, he would never mess with me again! Oh yea!

Cut a long story, I never did reply. I just let it go. It was no longer worth my time or energy to argue with him. He was the type that even if he did have the slightest hint that he was wrong, he would still argue and play devil's advocate just for the fun of it.

The moral? Here it is.
As Christians we are going to be attacked and belittled for our beliefs. 
People are going to want to argue with us and try to make us question our beliefs. Some of them may even know their Bible better than you do (Don't fool yourself, Satan probably knows the Bible like the back of his hand), but they twist it into saying something it really doesn't say.
Don't let them get to you. People are going to anger you. Talk to them in a reasonable manner, but don't get pulled in to their childish arguments. When they begin using personal attacks, don't give in...that makes you no better than they are.

When Jesus came a cross a sinner that disagreed with what He was preaching, what did He do?
Did He say, "What? Are you stupid!? You are obviously wrong! I can't believe you think_________!"
No,
No, that's silly. He loved them, He prayed for them, He spent time with them, and He invested in their lives to show them that He was different and He was who He said He was.
Then when they attacked Him and crucified Him, He didn't say a word, He turned the other cheek, and continued to pray.  (Isaiah 53:7, Mark 15:3-5)
And if we claim to be Christians than we should try our hardest follow His example.  (Luke 6:28, Matthew 5:39)

What would happen the next time someone tried to start a fight with you and you didn't add fuel to the fire?
What if you showed them the love of Christ and prayed for them?
They wouldn't know what to think! They would be dumbfounded!
They would notice that there is something different about you, and then you may be blessed with an opportunity to share Christ with them. How great would that be?

Arguing with anonymous strangers on the Internet is a sucker's game because they almost always turn out to be—or to be indistinguishable from—self-righteous sixteen-year-olds possessing infinite amounts of free time.

To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.

You cannot reason people out of a position that they did not reason themselves into.

  

That's the beauty of argument, if you argue correctly, you're never wrong.

Discussion is an exchange of knowledge; argument an exchange of ignorance.

The most important tactic in an argument next to being right is to leave an escape hatch for your opponent so that he can gracefully swing over to your side without an embarrassing loss of face.

 Nothing so sharpens the thought process as writing down one's arguments. Weaknesses overlooked in oral discussion become painfully obvious on the written page

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Count Your Blessings

I saw a picture recently that struck me as very interesting.

It was of a little boy and his mother sitting at a huge table FULL of yummy looking dishes.(Must have been Thanksgiving)

The mother told her son to say thanks before they ate, and the little boy replied..."But, what do I have to be thankful for?


This really got me thinking, in today's society we get so caught up in having the next and biggest and best things, that we begin to overlook the simple things in our life that we take for granted.

We want that newest fastest phone with the 4G, we want that fully loaded tricked out sports car, we want that expensive necklace with all the diamonds, and when we can't afford it we act like 3 year olds with our lips pouched out and pout because we don't get what we want.... well boo hoo, pity you!

We  have it so good.
I bet when you are hungry, you have food to eat.
I bet when you walk outside you have a shirt on your back and shoes on your feet.
I bet you have some type of transportation to get you from point A to point B.
And since you are reading this blog post right now, I bet you have access to the internet.

We need to sit down and have a serious reality check.
If you're only goal in life is to have the best material possessions then you aren't going to have a very fulfilling life.
Now don't get me wrong,  is having material things wrong?  No. If you work hard and can afford nice things, then more power to you to buy those luxuries, but don't let it consume you. Just because your neighbor has something...doesn't automatically mean you have to have it too.

Instead of being so absorbed in the physical and material blessings, why don't you take the time and count all the blessing you have money can't buy. I once heard a saying that went something like this:

                              

"Money can buy a house, but not a home.

Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.

Money can buy a clock, but not time. 

Money can buy a book, but not knowledge.

Money can buy food, but not an appetite.

Money can buy position, but not respect.

Money can buy blood, but not life. 

Money can buy insurance, but not safety."

You see, just because you are reading this I can most likely assume that you are alive and breathing, you can see, and you have the ability to read and comprehend. Which all that put to together makes you pretty blesseed.

Do you have friends you can depend on?
Do you have family that loves you?
Do you have a job?
Do you have food to eat and water to drink?
Do you have a roof over your head?
Can you see, hear, smell, or touch? ..... If you answered yes to any of those, then you are blessed.

God also gives us with certain gifts and talents.

Can you sing? 
Can you dance?
Are you an encouragment?
Can you make people laugh?
Can you teach?
Can you write?
Can you sympathize with people? (Sometimes God allows bad thing to happen in our life so when some else comes in our life going through the same problems, we can sympathize with them and help them move past it.)
Can you organize and plan?
Can you play and instrument? .....If you answered yes to and of those, then guess what! You are blessed. 
 

Need I continue?

There is a hymn that goes like this,
"Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings see what God has done."
But what if all you seem to be able to do is count things that aren't blessings? What if nothing seems to be going right and life just has you down in the dumps?

If that's the case I'll challenge you with what my Pastor challenged us to do not too long ago.
Grab a piece of paper and make two columns. In the first column write down everything you consider to be wrong in your life and in the second column write down ALL you blessings.
You're second column should have way more than your first and if it doesn't you might want to reconsider what a blessing is.

And to be honest, some of the things you wrote down in column one could possibly be blessings in disguise.
Who is to say that you car breaking down didn't keep you from going some where and wrecking?
Who is to say you boy friend dumping you didn't keep you from being involved in an abusive relationship?
Who is to say you didn't get that job you really wanted because God had something better in store for you?
Who is to say God didn't allow something horrible and scary to happen to you or someone you love because He knew you would be able to use it to bring others to Him? 
Who is to say that all bad things are completely bad? Sometimes blessings come in odd and, quite frankly, frustrating packages. 
I love the Song by Laura Story called "Blessings". The chorus is so beautiful and has such a clear and true message. It says"
          "What if your blessing come through rain drops. What if your healing comes through tears. What if a thousand sleepless night are what if take o know You're neat. What if trails of this life, are Your mercies in disguise."

And on another note.... if you have accepted Christ's free gift of slvation....you have the biggest blessing that one could ever have bestowed on them.

Because unlike the material blessings, salvation is not one you can work for and it is not one money can buy.
But it is the most expensive because the price was the Son of God's LIFE. For you to obtain this blessing He was beaten, bruised, whipped, mocked, teased, and crucified.
But...He rose again conquering death and the grave, giving us the most magnificent blessing imaginable and we don't even deserve it.

So the next time Satan gets you down and depressed and feeds you the lies of this world that all blessings are material and cost money. You remind him of all the blessings you have that money can't buy and remind him that you have accepted the best blessing out there, life in Heaven for all eternity.  A blessing he gave up a long time ago because of his pride.

Remember you are blessed beyond meassure in your own way. Don't compare the material blessings God has given you to the material blessings He gave someone else. Don't compare the talents and gifts He has blessed you with to the talents and gifts He has blessed someone else with.
You are you and God has a plan and purpose for your life with the specific blessings He has chosen to give you at this time. 

Blessings sometimes show up in unrecognizable disguises. 

The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

May we be strengthened with the understanding that being blessed does not mean that we shall always be spared all the disappointments and difficulties of life.

Seize the blessings of today.

Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayer and worn with thanks.

Sometimes we focus so much on what we don't have that we fail to see, appreciate, and use what we do have.

 God bless us, every one.

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Thank You

I know this is a little different than what I normally post, but I just wanted to take a second and and thank all of my regular readers of "What If We Were Real".

I will be the first to admit that I don't see myself as a writer at all. In high school (and college) English was my worst (and most disliked) subject.
I will also be the first to tell you that I have problems standing up and speaking my mind about certain topics in front of people I don't know very well.

So if you would have told me a couple years ago that I was going to start writing about not only my personal opinions but also take a strong stand for Christ  on the internet for ALL to read...I'd probably call you crazy!

Yet, here I am. And so much good has come from it.
But to be honest I still get a little nervous when it comes time to hit that orange "publish' button (lol)

Through writing this blog though, I have seen myself grow and mature. I find myself always pondering even the smallest things in ordinary life hat others way over look, and I also find myself studying my Bible more than I ever had....Which is always a good thing.

But I wouldn't be at the point where I am now with out the support and encouragement of my friends and family that read my blabbing regularly and over look my multiple grammatical errors and typos. 

I can't tell you how excited and happy I get when I see you guys comment on my posts and share them with your friends.

All the kind words and encouragement to "keep up the good work" just blesses my heart more than you will ever know.

Christ has given my the strength and courage to post the truth and share it with many all over the world.
The internet really is a great mission field. "What If We Were Real?" has had views in The USA,  China, Russia, Brazil, Latvia, and France just to name a few. 

I have fallen in love with blogging and plan to continue doing it for a while, and I pray y'all will continue to read and support me.

Thank you agian for everything you do.

God Bless!

Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Mmm Mmm Good

Image you're eating at a fancy steak house with your significant other celebrating a new promotion at work that nearly doubles your annual salary. You make the comment that tonight no price is too high because after all it is a special occasion and proceed to browse the menu. After a while the waiter approaches and asks to take your order, you order a filet minion and your partner orders...a glass of warm milk.... Sounds silly right? That's because it is.



Today at work I was feeding a baby who is in the transition period between bottles and solid food. Slowly over the past couple weeks I have noticed that the formula is becoming less and less appealing to him. He craves the oatmeal, fruit puffs, and smashed vegetables. When it's time for a bottle he is not interested at all  and may drink half of it (if he is really hungry), but when it comes time for the solid food...he is all over it! He devours it and cries when it's gone wanting even more.

This got we thinking about some verses in Hebrews,
                     Hebrews 5: 12-14 ~ "Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food.  Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.  But solid food is for the mature, for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil" 

Just as when a baby is born he needs milk to survive, so new Christians need to experience the 'milk' of the Word in order to grow. When you first come to know Christ, you shouldn't jump straight into the complex theologies in the Bible because you don't want to overwhelm yourself. You need to learn the basic principles and stories first. David and Goliath, Mary and Joseph, The 10 Lepers, Jonah and the Big Fish, Daniel and the Lions Den, and so on and so forth. 


But as you grow and mature in your faith so should the depth of your study and understanding grow. 


The more you get into and the more information you uncover, the more your hunger for the meat should grow.

I find it ironic that God's Word is compared to food multiple times:

• In Hebrews it is compared to milk and meat
• It is compared to milk again in 1 Peter
• In Psalms it is compared to honey
• In John, Christ is referred to as the "Bread of Life"
• In Luke it is compared to seeds (and yes, I count that as food. Food grows from it and I love sunflower seeds)

What speaks to people more than food! If I had to guess most of you reading this eat a minimum of 2-3 meals a day, plus snacks, plus desserts, and plus those midnight fridge raids we don't really remember in the morning and always regret.....

And I can predict that if you skip a meal you may become ill or easily aggravated, am I right?
Well, following that theory...if the Bible is 'food' for our Christian life, if we miss our personal time in God's Word...shouldn't we become spiritually ill?

Ponder this for a second, how healthy would you be physically if you could only eat while you were reading your Bible... A lot of us would be starving! Would you?

Indulge in it, devour it, crave it! The more you study and learn, the more you will WANT to study deeper and learn even more.
Start by spending 5, 10, 15 minutes a day and see where it goes from there. Before you know it, you will really be getting into it and an hour will pass by before you know it.

I know life gets busy and you may feel like there is no time...but lets be real. How much time a day do you spend on the computer? Watching TV? Texting? Facebooking?  Playing video games? Shopping? If you spend anytime doing any of that, you have time to study, it all has to do with your priorities.

To be real with you guys, since I started this blog I am spending more time studying and reading than I ever had. And I'm not missing wasting my time on other things at all.

Just the other day I sat down with a man in my church and began discussing the Scriptures and before I knew it 4 hours had past and there was STILL so much I wanted to discuss. See? That's what happens when you show a genuine interest and hunger the things of God. He will give you the time and energy.

So what's on your Spiritual menu this week?
Will you order the milk, the steak, or will you continue to starve? the choice is yours.

"Read your Bible, pray everyday and you'll grow grow grow." 

"Bible reading is an education in itself."

"Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face"

"The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it."



 Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3

Self Acceptance

A lot has been going through my mind lately.

I want to change the way others perceive me, but that seems to be way harder than I initially thought.

I figured I could change my clothes, my make up, the way I carry my self (you know the whole pretend I am a confident and strong woman when we all know that underneath the surface I am a terrified coward bit... lol)

But it didn't matter how hard I tried to change the outside...if the inside didn't change to match it, what good was I really doing??


That's nothing more than wrapping a trash can in pretty paper and ribbons. It may look beautiful and fancy, but underneath it's still full of rotting and smelly garbage.

While processing all this the other day, I came across a book in my closet that I didn't even know I had. It was a book by Joyce Meyer titled "Discover the Joy of Being the Person God Made You to be". I decided to give it a look through. I turned to Chapter 1 (Self Acceptance) and began to read the following:
             
                  " ...I have discovered that most people really don't like themselves. This is a very big problem, much bigger than one might think initially. It is certainly not God's will for His children to feel this way. Rather it is part of Satan's attempt to ruin us.  If we don't get along with ourselves, we won't get along with other people. When we reject ourselves, it may seem to us that others reject us as well. Relationships are a vital part of our lives. How we feel about ourselves is a determining factor in our success in life and in relationships. Our self-image is the inner picture of how we carry ourselves.  If what we see is not healthy, not true to the Scriptures, we will suffer from fear, insecurity, and various misconceptions about ourselves..."

Funny how God gives you just what you need to read at precisely the moment you need to read it!
Even though I don't completely agree with everything Joyce Meyer teaches, I do agree with what she is saying in the above excerpt.

When God created the human race back in the begining with Adam and Eve, He said it was "good". He made us "good". I mean we were creating in His image for crying out loud, how could it NOT be could?

God knit each and everyone of us in the womb to be exactly who we are.
                     Jeremiah 1:5~ "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."
From the time of conception (yes, life begins at the moment of conception. I don't care what the democrats tell you. But I will save that discussion for a later post) HE has had a specific plan, just for you to accomplish! WOW!

 I have caught myself from time to time thinking, "How can they (friends, family, etc.) really love me? I'm not that smart. I'm not that pretty. I'm not that funny. I can be very annoying..." and on and on listing everything I didn't see myself 'good enough' in.
I would always (and sometimes still do) tell people that I loved them, just to be able to hear them say it back. And after they would say they loved me too, I would sometimes secretly question if that was the truth or if they were just saying because they felt like they were obligated too.
And I'll tell you what, it destroyed my self-confidence and made me not want to open up to, well, anybody. I bought into the Devil's lies that the way I saw myself was the way everyone else in the world saw me as well.

And I'm sure some of you can relate to this as well. The insecurities we have end up affecting us majorly.
We feel we can't teach that class or lead that group because others don't think we are qualified.
We feel we will never have that perfect family, husband/wife, kids, and pet because we aren't attractive enough to have a boyfriend/girlfriend.
Our friends can't really love us...because we don't really love ourselves.
Then it goes even deeper...How can God possibly love us? After all we have done to Him? After all the sin we have committed?

But when you stop and think about it, the reason we seem so unworthy compared to those around us is because we are always comparing our "behind the scenes" to their "premiere show". If you could catch a glimpse of their behind the scenes, you might be shocked to see you aren't much different after all.

So when we finally get it through our thick and stubborn skulls that God loves us just the way we are, learn not to care so much about what other people think, and learn to accept ourselves the way we are...We will be able to more effectively love others and live out the plans God has for our lives.We will feel free and no longer be bound by Satan's chains of lies!

We have so much potential and can accomplish so much if we put aside what holds us back.

Today chose to look at yourself through the mirror of God's eyes, and chose to accept yourself for you and all that you can become. Because God made you perfect, and with Him at the center of your life...everything will work out just fine :)

“You must love yourself before you love another. By accepting yourself and fully being what you are, your simple presence can make others happy.”

“The most terrifying thing is to accept oneself completely”

“You can explore the universe looking for somebody who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and you will not find that person anywhere.”

“The greatest magnifying glasses in the world are a man's own eyes when they look upon his own person”

 Live...Laugh...Love
Until Next Time,
Racheal <3