Breaking the Mold or Shattering the Mirror

I remember when I was just a little kid I had such a fun experience making mud cakes! I would grab one of my grandma's old pots (that she never uses!) and stuff it with wet mud (not too runny, but wet enough). Then, I would carefully turn the pot upside down and dump out the mud, now shaped in a circular form as the pot. I would then proceed to "decorate" the muddy mold with grass and other colorful flowers to make my beautiful "cake". Oh wow! I had so much fun!

I did run into a problem though. I noticed that if the mud dried up just a little, the mold would not come out all the way or it would come out halfway, resulting in a pile of mess inside and outside of the pot. Therefore, the mold had to be taken out of the pot before it had a chance to dry even a little and stick to the pot. These were my days filled with experimenting and exploring as a young child.

It is interesting to find, that the bible also talks about "molds" in it's pages. In Romans chapter 12 v. 2, Paul says, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Webster's 1828 dictionary defines conform as "To make like, in external appearance; to reduce to a like shape, or form, with something else..."

Transform is defined as "To change the form of; to change the shape or appearance; to metamorphose; as a caterpillar transformed into a butterfly."

I find that in my personal walk with God, I tend to at times stray away from Him and find myself conforming into the "mold" of this world. When I find myself in love with the world's glitz and glam, whether it would be the world's catchy fashions, risque movies, infatuation in self-image, idolization of wealth, etc I find myself being outlined and molded more and more into an image of the world. It reaches the point where the line between the world and me as a Christian is worn off into a mere gray speck in the dust. The plans of the devil is to offer these things on a fake gold platter, in high hopes that we will soon be in a messy pile of mud decorated with lifeless grass and dead flowers. But it is not to say that we weren't warned!

It is clear that the Bible teaches us to be set apart from the world, but what is more special, is that the Bible is the resource that offers us the ability to examine ourselves to determine where we are spiritually. Is it one foot in the world's door, and one foot into the church treshold?

Doug Phillips, the president of Vision Forum Ministries(http://www.visionforumministries.org/) speaks often of the Desert Island Challenge in which he gives a scenario that if we were on a desert island with only the Bible to guide us, how would our views be shaped? What will we be like?

Obviously being on a lonely desert island, with nothing to distract us, or lead us to wander, we will look to the Bible as our reference and guidebook. Therefore, we will be built up and shaped into God's mold according to His word.

In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul writes "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith...". In James chapter 1, v. 22-25 we are told to not only hear what the Word tells us but also be doers of the Word. These verses reiterate the point that the Bible is our mirror. This mirror shows us the "mold" we are in and it is up to us to break the worldly mold, or to shatter the mirror of God's Word in our defiance...the choice is after you dear reader.

A Little Warm Encouragement

I heard a very good preacher tell this story. In Siberia during the cold winter months, the inmates of a jail were required to labor at cutting down trees. Winters in Siberia were very cold and these inmates would return to cold and damp baracks. They had one stove which one of the men tried to heat up to warm the room, but since there was nothing to make fire with, this really wasn't effective at heating the room. Of course they grumbled and complained that this man didn't do his job right and they had to go to sleep in wet freezing clothes. Nevertheless, the man told them that everytime they were done working, they should each bring dry sticks or any wood that they could contribute to the stove. Each man did just that and each contributed firewood to warm their baracks. Of course, the room of the baracks filled with the so much yearned for warmth!

It is so important for us Christians to realize that we need to labor together in unity if we are striving for one goal. We need to each bring something into our churches to create that pleasantly warm atmosphere of a spiritually burning flame. If it is a prayer group we need to each bring encouragement, a heart willing to pray, and ears that are willing to listen. If it is a marriage, we need to know what God requires of us to each bring/contribute into a marriage to create that loving, burning flame of a Godly family. If it is singing in a choir, we need to contribute our efforts and our voices to create that one flaming fire that reaches up in praise to God.

WE need to contribute and not look upon one person to pull the weight. Lets make that flame a lil brighter shall we?

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:4-5

My Finances for the Glory of God

Did you know that the bible talks more about money then of faith and prayer both combined? In God's Word we see money as being closely linked to salvation. Some of the biblical examples are John the Baptist in Luke 3:10-14 , the story of Zacheus, the rich young man who sought the answer of how he could inherit eternal life (Mark 10:17-25), Ananias and Sapphira who's tragic deaths were all because of keeping what they owed to God (Acts 5), and the poor widow who gave all that she had (Luke 21:4). To tie these illustrations in one bouqet, lets examine what Jesus and some others say about all this money talk. No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24 (emphasis added)

Paul writes to Timothy: For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (1 Timothy 6:10 emphasis added)

Well then what happens to those that do fall for the glitz and the glam of money? Fortunately the bible doesn't fail to warn us extensively about this topic as well.

Recall Gehazi's greed and his punishment (2 Kings 5). Despite Solomon's wisdom, we see how his riches and foreign wives bring in many gods and rituals, which have an influence on Solomon and thereby lead him away from serving God. Finally, there is Jude who betrayed Jesus for money, but later hangs himself. The personal conclusion that you could come to is that God will never let a person die happy and satisfied if that person traded God for money.

As God's followers we are called to glorify God in every aspect of our life's. As we look upon the almighty greatness and beauty of God, we cannnot but look in awe with praise bursting out of our lips! The beauty of Lake Tahoe, the magnificense of the California forests, the grandeur of Half Dome in Yosemite Park this all makes us exclaim in wonder and call our family and friends over to where we are standing to see the beauty we had discovered. This is the reaction of looking upon our Lord and knowing that I myself am happy and this happiness is radiating in my life and the purpose for which I am living here on earth. Our purpose in life is evident here: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him Colossians 1:16 (emphasis added) God created us for His glory and our purpose is none other than to glorify Him.

How does glorifying God relate to money? Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:
Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Matthew 13:45,46

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 6

In the way that I translate this, is that when we find Jesus, he is so precious to us, that we are ready to give away/rid ourselves of anything in order to have Him glorified. Therefore the happiness of God radiates through us for His glory.

God is our Creator, therefore He gave us the abilities to work and make money that belongs to Him. But how much of God's money do we leave to ourselves?

Deutoronomy 10:14, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalms 50:10, Job 41:11 has all but one answer: ALL belongs to God.

Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Ephesians 4:28 (I earn to give).

And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. 2 Corinthians 9:8 (God is blessing me so that I in turn will bless others.)

Then comes up the question of tithing. But isn't this all that God wants us to give and the rest is ours?

From Leviticus 27:30, Deutoronomy 14:22, Proverbs 3:9, and Malachi 3:10, we can conclude that tithing is a standard, but not evidence of spirituality. Lets look at a different picture and you judge for yourselves. Leviticus 22:18, Numbers 15:3, and Exodus 36 show us the people who voluntarily gave above and beyond the tithe. David prays: But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. 1 Chronicles 29:14

Acts 4:32-35 is a beautiful illustration of a church who lacked in nothing, but gave wholeheartedly. Therefore we cannot but say that it all comes down to the condition of our heart. If we are pure in heart, mind, and soul, it will inevitably show in how we give of our earnings. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Matthew 19:21

Consider these two accounts.

King Tut a boy who died at a young age. History books are full of evidence of the enormous wealth and riches that he posessed. When archeologists opened his grave, it was laiden in gold with chariots to transport the dead to the next life. You see the Egyptians had a belief that those chariots and gold could transport them into the next world or life.

William Borden was an aspiring missionary and a passionate follower of Christ who had all the fortunes in the world, but he chose to travel to do missionary work amidst Muslims. He stopped in Egypt hoping to learn Arabic there and move on to China. Tragically, he contracted spinal meningitis and died a short week later. On his tombstone was this inscription: "Apart from faith in Christ, there is no explanation for such a life"http://home.snu.edu/~hculbert/regret.htm.

Let me close with this quote from Randy Alcorn. "Materialism results from a failure to realize that we were made for only one person (Jesus) and one place (heaven). Those of us who know Christ will one day be with him in heaven. Until then, nothing else can satisfy us."

This content was in no way put together by me. This is a short summary and translation of the six lessons that our church youth recieved from our youth leader Roman T. at our summer camp.

Where Is The Light?...

Here's a thought that may be new to someone, or simply understood differently when viewed from a different angle...

As I'm watching the postscript to one of the lessons in the Truth Project series, Dr.Del Tackett makes an interesting discovery...funny, and yet sad at the same time that we don't put much though into it...

Here's a quick summary of what he says: (forgive me if I leave out something important or add something unnecessary...not my intentions)

One day his son was getting something out of the closet, and he noticed that when the closet door was opened, it was light inside! When he got in the closet and closed the door, however, it was dark inside...he got back out, opened the door, and once again it was light! His discovery was that when there is darnkess and light present, light overtakes the darkness. Darkness does not overtake the light...
The connection he makes to that principle is this: If darkness is spreading thorugh the land, it's not because someone opened a box of "darkness", it's because someone is hiding the light...or Jesus is removing the lampstand from it's place...
( Revelation 2:5 (New American Standard Bible)
5'Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place--unless you repent.)

Not to make this complicated, (because there was a whole lesson before that which related to this...and it may not make sence to you if you have no clue what i'm talking about)...but I just thought it was really a neat discovery!...not because it's new...I mean, come'on now...we all know that it's dark in the closet... (that's why most kids close their closet doors before they go to sleep...cuz their scared of the dark)...but because even though we know that light overpowers the darkness...often times we are afraid to shine, and hence, we hide our light...so the world remains a dark place...
This little 3 minute lesson caused me to re-analyze if that someone who is hiding their light could be me at certain times...

We need to be bold, and know that light overpowers darkness! Let's not hide!!!

(I understand that this topic is way deep and beyond the few lines that I've mananged to scrible here, but I hope you get the point correctly. To those who are in the process of going through the Truth Project series...this was in the postscript to lesson 10...)

Blessings!

{Discouraged much?? Story Time! ...theres a prize at the end!}

It took me more than 3 tries to log in because I've forgotten my password. Shame on me!

Well folks, interestingly enough, as I was thinking about sharing something God gave me, Nat so wonderfully introduced the topic...sort of.

It was 5pm and I was feeling pumped up and ready for a nice long relaxing jog. My "routine" had been broken with various occasions our church had..so I knew I wouldnt run a marathon.

If any of you know, the Sun (with a capital s) in lil ol' sacramento does an extraordinary job shinin his face, even at 5 in the the eve...so much that the numerous shades and shadows of trees have been layed off. ha ha.

I get out and start running...my mind starts with a prayer as I look at all the beautiful plants and trees God created...squirrels, rabbits...goats even (i saw goats!)...it's been about 25 minutes when an older gentlemen who came out to water his yard waves, smiles and shouts "a bit too hot for that eh?"
I smile back and breath out "oh its fine"...waving my hand in return.

and that's when it hit me...when I passed his house, it was as if the earth was a golf ball and I'm standing on it, all 5'6.5" tall and the sun decides to see and shine only on me. My forehead was creating bomb size sweat as my brain started to scream "you're the Only genius on this planet earth to run at 5 in the evening!!!!" and of course, my eyeballs examine the streets around me to concur as no other living being was around me...no more bunnies, squirrels or goats, not even flowers.

Funny that I didn't notice the heat or discomfort until someone pointed it out...and the mind grabs on to that particular statement as if for dear life, to make me stop.

In a Christian's life, it's similar. You do something good for the soul, and it might seem so bizarre to the world...However, living a Godly life should be bizarre and not ordinary to the people who are non believers. Sometimes however, we might hear "wow, do you really need to be at church 4 days a week??!!" and it's as if Satan himself wants to convince you that you don't need it or it's too much for you to handle...or what have you.

well, I continued to jog but required to be my own cheerleader...so as I start to listen to my cells yelling at me to stop and I notice I'm slowing down...and my cheers went from "you can do it!!!!" to "five more minutes"...I started to think...what if I can pretend there's a prize at the end...like A MILLION DOLLARS!!

And.. I stopped. no, not because I was tired, because I was laughing so hard!!!
You see, recently, our youth has received great messages from God about analyzing our priorities in life and how we misuse the finances God gave us(nadia will share)..and how people are always drawn to the root of all evil--money!

The reason i was laughing is because although I heard the message and praised God for it...instead of thinking of Jesus or Heaven as my "prize at the end" I quickly jumped to the green paper!!!!!!!!!! And once more, I thanked Him for showing me that sinful nature in me so that I can completely be transformed by Him, run through the race called life with Jesus, to reach my Heavenly Father...waiting at the end.

Be Blessed,
Victoria

The Bridge that Joins the Two...

It’s the bridge that joins the two…a world of chaos and a world of peace and order…
On one side you have the fast lanes of the freeway, the sound of speeding cars trying to reach their destinations…who knows where they are going…who knows if they will even get there…
Life’s too short to keep on moving, zooming through it at the speed of light….
This is when I like the other side to turn to…a world of peace and order…
Here, the water calmly flows, the soft wind touches your face- drying all your tears away…
Here, my soul is filled with peace, joy, and comfort at the thought of Jesus…
Here, I find strength to renew my mind, here I feel God’s presence…
It is here where I find hope in the future which lies ahead of me,
And it's here where I look up…and with a humble heart say, “Jesus, you have brought me here this far, through the fast lanes of the freeways, pain and sorrow You allowed, just to make me stronger…
You have brought me throut so much, that which I could never go through…if it hadn’t been for You, here to lift me when my hart is aching.
Here, you show me two extremes, that the life of fast paced chaos…only wears out my poor soul, and no matter how fast I go…there will always be a road ahead- one that’s never ending…
And the other side of this…if my life were only calm and quiet…not much action, not much pain…I’d get sick of it in no time…
Here you open up my eyes, to see that bride that joins the gap...
A world of peace, and a world of chaos.
And even though I can’t escape, not one world and not the other…they are both a great big part in my lifelong, earthly journey.
Thank you Jesus for allowing me, to see the beauty of this bridge…
Not in physical appearance…not just in the landscape scenes, or the quietness around it…but the content that it brings…the deep meaning that’s behind it…
It’s the bridge between two worlds…a world of chaos, and a world of peace and order,
It’s the bridge where I find peace in the midst of all the chaos…
It’s the bridge where I find hope, for the fast and untold future…
Here, Your presence fills my heart…
And I thank You Father, truly.”

*I Love You Jesus*

Do you find yourself realizing that the people we tend to spend most of our time with are the people we love? The more time we spend with someone, the more we want to get to know that someone, and the more we realize how much we love that someone…sounds familiar? Maybe?...I guess you could take this in as if I were talking about a prince charming…(every girls dream! Hehe) ….and yes, it could be, …only I haven’t met my ‘prince charming’ yet,- so in this post…I’ll be referring to a different Prince Charming…ONE of everyone’s dreams…
I find that the more time I spend with God’s Word, the more I see God’s Glory. The more I see HIS Glory, the more It draws me in…my heart is filled with Praises to the LORD and I Glorify God in my heart as I read about the wonders of HIS works…HIS Wonders to the people of Israel, HIS Mercy and Loving-kindness, HIS Wrath, HIS Forgiveness, HIS Grace, etc…the list is never ending. It always amazes me that no matter how much time one spends with the BIBLE, there will ALWAYS be more to learn and more to study. Our GOD is Infinite. At times it’s hard for my mind to grasp the meaning of that, I want to fill up my head with all the knowledge of GOD there is…that’s not possible either. God is INFINITE and we will never reach the full understanding and knowledge of HIM here on earth…never the less…this only motivates me to spend even more time in a relationship with God. Since HE is Infinite, there will always be something more that HE will reveal to me when I seek HIM.
I find this to be like a continuous circle: the more time I spend with the Word of God, the more I am inspired by the God of the universe, the more I Glorify God, the more I pray. I pray as a response to that overwhelming feeling in my heart, the joy, the love, the peace the Glory that I want to give back to HIM, my heart is praying to the ONE Who deserves this Glory. The more I pray, the more I want that feeling to come back, so here I go again, I read, rejoice, I Glorify the Lord. He answers prayers, once again, putting HIS Glory on Display….
It’s a relationship that never ends…there is no limit. It makes me realize how much I love God, and how much I depend on HIM to keep me going. (Let’s not forget however, that the Bible says that if we LOVE Him, we obey HIS Word…in order to obey It, we must read It.)

I want to encourage everyone to long for this relationship with God, to be filled with HIS Glory and in response, Glorify HIM…then come back to the Source of that which shows HIS Glory, and Glorify HIM even more…
~Blessings

{three thoughts and a thank you}

It's so nice to get messages from God when you least expect it...He never fails to impress me, and His interest in molding me into a Child of His is so mind boggling....who am I that He would care for me so?? I will never be able to grasp God's unconditional love.

I was privileged to visit a church in Roseville where 2/3 messages were provided. This church service style was completely not what I grew up with. Think Desert vs Ocean. yea, that big of a difference. Where we kneel down to our knees to pray, they lift up their arms, where we sing with slight emotions in our eyes, their whole body reflects all they feel through praise and worship. Neither is more "correct"...God told me....for just as each child has a unique relationship with his/her parents, and requires a unique approach in return, so is Our Heavenly Father with us, His children.


Is there anything you can claim as entirely yours? Tithing has never been an issue in my life...Our church calls us to tithe as the Bible does, however, they never guilt us into doing it..There is a system at our church to give monthly...and that's what most people do. To give additionally, however, is done voluntarily. The church I visited literally blew me away by the way their family Thrives to GIVE TO GOD. I mean these people wip out their calculators and before spending even on a piece of gum, they give the 10% OF WHAT GOD GAVE THEM!. This is where I was convicted by the Spirit. I never really saw it from the perspective of giving God the first of His present to you.

If we really, I mean TRULY believe in God and His word...then we cannot help but act upon the calling of being a leader of faith, and advocate of truth. Starting with the most simple of things...and ready to be called into the most challenging ones of all. The pastor of the Roseville church shared a scenario: walking through the mall with his wife he notices a new store, a bathing suit store. A Huge poster of a young gentleman is hung in the front as a welcoming sign....except that when they see it in full...he is wearing nothing but bottoms...so low that the pubic hair is shown. yea, sorry...not very pleasant to read, i know. THE PASTOR IS OUTRAGED at this....I am sure I would be too...and hopefully all of you who may be reading this. I would continue to be upset, maybe shake my head in disgust and think about how the world is just going downhill.

BUT THIS IS WHERE YOU NEED TO LEAD!! the pastor walks into the store, speaks to the manager, who refers him to the Admin of the entire mall. The Pastor vocalizes his concern, describing it as "molesting kids' minds" by presenting inappropriate pictures in a public mall where kids and teens are. This served as a great reminder and example for me personally.

One day as I was working I realized how much it didn't seem like I was at WORK...I genuinely enjoyed the rewarding feeling of caring for others and all that is included in doing so. At that moment I felt such gratitude that God lead me to become a Nurse...I could have made so many mistakes if I would pick and follow my random hobbies and passions (music, art, teaching) But My Father in Heaven has provision and by His love lead me to this calling. I will thank Him for it every day of my life. I encourage everyone to seek His guidance in everything...even where to work =)

Blessings,
victoria

Raking leaves....What's in it for me?

As I take a rake from the big bin of different gardening tools, I try to find an area with the most dried leaves/ dry grass/ that needs to be cleaned up, and I start to wobble from side to side. Going as slow as I possible can so that I can do the least amount of actual physical work, while appearing to be working- stretching the time so that I can get my two hours of volunteer work checked off. Moving probably at the rate of 2 feet/ 5-10 minutes, I find little distractions to slow me down even more. This is MY saturday. MY day off. Why should I be doing this when I could be doing so many other things at this given time on this beautiful early saturday morning- like sleeping in for example.

Because my little sister goes to this "Fine Arts/Music Charter School", it is mandatory to have so many hours of parent volunteer work every semester in order for the students to be able to graduate. Since my parents both volunteering still does not meet the required hours, I get to be the lucky one to pitch in a few hours as well.

As the feelings of frustration start to rise, the pride begins to build, I am too good for this. This kind of work is not for me. What do I get out of it? Like the school even cares that I am here to rake the dry leaves that fall from trees, which not to mention will fall down again in 5 minutes when the wind blows to an area where I just cleaned, and then another person will come up behind me and rake the same area once again to kill more time and get his hours checked off as well...How does this benefit me? By giving my hands blisters and my back sore muscles the next day? (which is what happens when you start doing physical labor work after not doing any at all in a while...practically) No one will know how good or bad I worked. No one will come to check my work. No one will thank me for my work, acknoledge it, correct it. No one will care. I'm here to work off the needed hours. period. there is nothing more to that.

....

I stop myself in the midst of such thoughts and try to shift my mind to thinking optimistically. This kind of work builds strenght. It gets my mind off things. It gives me time to think, to pray, to listen to my mp3 player (which in fact I was doing- listening to a sermon on a Bible Study lesson I had missed previously- which I had been meaning to listen to for months but found no time, untill now that is)...

I was thinking hard of a lesson I could learn and take away from this experience. There had to be more than just doing routine work for no purpose.

...As my two hours of volunteer work slowly come to an end, and I try to summarize the lesson I will take away from this, it starts to make sence. Beautiful. Now we're getting somewhere.

It was as if I had to be there that exact day, listening to that exact sermon, thinking those exact thoughts for the bigger picture to all come together. The truths that God continued to reveal to me convicted me, and showed me who I really was.

What a selfish heart I had...Not caring to do good work if I had no benefit from it, if it didn't somehow now or later bring me any good or profit, if it was just for the sole purpose of practicing doing good work without benefiting me- I didn't want to do it.

Selfish. Caring only for myself. prideful. thinking I was better. searching for self benefit in all I do, and if it didn't bring it- you could count me out of it.

...In the last 10 minutes of my time at the school, I think I did more work than I had the whole hour and 50 minutes I had been there. My soul was crying out to God both in repentance and in praises for showing me the condition I was in.

Throught my previous thoughts and actions, I was able to see the selfish being that I was. still am in some cases. Caring only for my own interest, my own benefits, my own selfish self...

Does not the Bible teach us to practice doing good work? Not to take that verse out of context here, but wasn't this a chance for me to practice doing good work even though no one was around to see it? Even though no one would thank me for it later? Even though I would personally not benefit a tiny bit from it?....

...Driving home, my heart was overflowing with joy at the fact that in such a short amount of time, (which by the way I could have spent just hitting the snooze button on my alarm clock 1o times untill I felt I was ready to get up)), God was at work in my heart- revealing to me the person I was and the person I needed to be.

...Praises to the Lord for teaching us the lessons that we need at appropriate times in our lives to shape our character and personality to what God wants to see...

~Blessings.

I Am Not Super Woman

So hear I am on vacation (from college for the time being) and I am exhausted! I take two hour naps during the day when I had enough hours of night sleep. I can barely keep my mind rolling to concentrate on what I'm reading in a book. I feel like I have carpal tunnel syndrome after I've hand-written some notes for an hour or so. My mind automatically flips to the next day and I plan what I will do and where I will need to go, but yet I haven't yet finished living in the present day. (You see, living one day at a time just aint my philosophy. "sigh") Constantly there is tons of information that my brain has to regurgitate such as all the news headlines yelling at me whenever I open the internet web page, things that I need to buy, urgent letters to send out, bills to pay, appointments to remember to attend, meetings that don't end, precautions to take, worries to dispell, promises to fulfill (and obligations). But I'm so young!!!"sigh" I think I got the point across.

Through all this chaos I and many others I am sure are trying to keep our heads above the water. Trying to stay afloat but losing our strength minute by minute. This world or the people in it are not going to slow down or pause for several seconds to take a breather. Noooo, but since the world is still revolving, it doesn't mean we have to chaotically run to follow the rest of the people who are revolving with it. We sometimes forget in our rush that physically our bodies wear out, but more importantly we begin to wilt spiritually as well.

God has one simple loving advice for you and me: "Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalms 46:10) Simple and to the point. Be still. Stop. Quit running (with your legs, tongue, and mind). Reach for the Word of God. Relish in getting to know God. The God who is sovereign and can take away the anxiety and the dilemmas we meet each day. The God who tells us not to consume our thoughts with irrelevant news and to not worry because He is the King of Kings. Do not follow the world's mantra of "Live your day to its fullest". But rather LIVE your day fully for the glory of God. Stay in contact with your Father throughout your day. Know, that you're in better hands now.

Why Do You Believe in God?

he asked me. Just a minute ago he firmly decided that if God really does exist, He wouldnt care whether some Dr. R in the middle of sacramento believed in Him or not.

Dr. R looked puzzled by his own quesion, conciously preparing himself to challenge, object and reject my answer.

Dr. R, this blog is for you, and for anyone else who shares his curiosity....or maybe it is more than simply being curious.

Even in the fact that your mind questions, already means you are searching. Sometimes you search for what can validate and solidify your own understanding, sometimes you search for what you feel can be tackled philosophically. You may feel like a winner temporarily. However, while the mind will be satisfied, your heart will be unfulfilled because, instinctively, you will feel there is a hole in your soul... and there is more to life than living.

Dr. R, I believe in God because: He is my Creator, He is my Savior, He chose to Love me, a sinner. I love God. In Him I find true Happinness, in Him I am fulfilled, and In Him is my purpose here on earth.

Faith is a beautiful aspect of life, so powerful- that it requires no proof or fact. Faith is something that cannot be taken away by any physical force. It is what drives one to continue living, it is trusting in the future, in tomorrow, in every minute ahead.

Having received Faith from God, I can tell you it is more than believing. It is Knowing, 100%, that you have encountered Truth by His grace. Your soul is content to know that life with God is eternal Happiness. Your heart does not thirst, nor does it search any longer. You know that your Father in Heaven is holding you by the hand, and through anything in life, He will not let go of you. I see it, I feel it, I know it.

It is something that the world can never imitate. It is more than a feeling, or a mere emotional high. Science fails to experience anything like it despite their wonderful discoveries.

you, Dr. R, my friend, can know the Truth too. It is only when you stop searching with a hardened heart...that you would reveive the gift and ask: "How can people not believe in God?"

I invite you to share my happiness with God. Read His letter, personalized to you. The Bible.

On the Edge of the Unknown

There comes a time when nothing seems clear. When and where should I take my next step? What should I choose? Why do I feel so confused? How come this is so frustrating? How come there is no clarity? This does not feel like where I should go! Lord, why me?

This is one of those times when I feel on the edge of the unknown. I feel anxious. Not knowing what in the world to expect. In my mind, thousands of concerns and fears gradually grow to elephant proportions. Tears threaten to spill over, but I feign calm. But there is one question that always rings out: What's next? I feel that my womanly intuition should be able to correctly signal to me a feeling of right and wrong to guide me forward. But that's not the case. Intuition...feeling only a static signal. Ideas...none whatsoever. Lost? Yes. Help? Aha.

I am at a crossroads. Uncertain, confused, and a tad bit mad at myself. Why am I taking this time of unknown so hard? Is this a major turn in my life? Why in the world do I have a sense of urgency to know? To know and see ahead of time where I will be...

I search through the Word of God and I find these golden words: We walk by faith not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) and then I understand, that only faith in the Lord will help me to step over that edge of the unknown. Sight or intuition not needed.

CRAM...CRAM...CRAM! ...What's the Analogy?...

As I was deliberately trying to figure out the best way to cram an entire semester's worth of information into my head for the finals, slowly the dosage calculations and the coupled reactions of the Krebs cycle drifted out of my mind and this analogy caught my attention instead:

Why did I wait until the very last day before the finals to start studying? Why didn’t I just study a little at a time and devote time to actually LEARN the material throughout the semester/ rather than just cramming it in my head so that I can dump it out for the exam and forget about it the very next day? Why is this such a consistent pattern…will I ever learn the lesson?

…whether I learn my lesson in regards to studying for the finals in the world of education is 1 thing, but more important is the analogy I am about to make with studying for the tests that we face in our Spiritual life which we call “trials”. This is the more important lesson that I need to understand.

I think it’s safe to say that every Christian will face trials at one point of their life or another. (The Bible says so)… think for a moment here of trials as “finals” in our Spiritual life. Once we are at a stage in our life where our faith needs testing, God gives us a “final”… Somehow we college students get used to being so laid back throughout the semester and then end up trying to catch up right before the test/ or even in between tests (that’s me right here! ) ( oh, and please don’t get offended if you think I’m accusing everyone of being this way, not at all! Mainly I’m just referring to myself here…) Switching back over to the Spiritual Life aspect of being tested, God tests our faith by allowing trials and tribulations to come our way. If we aren’t prepared before the trials come, it just makes it that much harder and more difficult for us to accept them, know the right action to take, and we all of a sudden start praying more and reading the Bible more (in hopes to find a clear revelation of what to do/ how to act in a given situation). What if we actually took the time to study the Word of God consistently in our everyday lives instead of waiting for a time when we really desperately need to know God’s will to take out the Bible and start “cramming” – flipping through the pages and trying to find the answers…What if we consistently built that Bible knowledge and applied it in our lives daily…wouldn’t it be so much easier to take the “finals” – accept the trials that we face with faith and courage-? Wouldn’t we already be prepared and know how to act from previously already going over that in our personal Bible Study? And what if we applied the rule of studying 3 hours out of class for every 1 hour of lecture spent in class (or some crazy number the professors tell you) into our Spiritual life and studied the Scriptures at home for that many hours outside of the church Bible Studies?...Wouldn’t we be more prepared to fight the battles of temptations, accept trials with joy, and “pass” the course that God may be testing us on?...

The finals we face in our schools/ colleges/ universities/ etc- test our knowledge of what we have been studying in the past. If we actually learn the material and know how to apply it, it’ll be that much easier for us to pass the final with a good grade without having to pull all-nighters cramming for it.

The “finals” we face in our Spiritual lives test our faith. If we are spiritually strong Christians and prepare ourselves by being persistent in studying the Scriptures and consistent in prayer everyday in our lives, then when the days of trials come, they won’t catch us by surprise.


The worst thing that can possibly happen when we aren’t prepared for the finals at our schools is we could fail…fail the test, fail the course, etc. but comparing that to the BIG picture I’m trying to make here is that if we are not prepared for the Spiritual trials that may come, if our faith fails …that outcome is worse than getting an F- on any other test.

…If there is anything else I can add to this already supper long post, it’s this…I just want to encourage everyone to really take the time to MAKE TIME for Bible study, not just an hour or two at the church/ youth Bible Studies, not just the “read a few chapters to check it off my list” type of studying, but really just investing time to apply the Word of God personally in your lives so that your faith and relationship with God would grow stronger and stronger….(and once those trials come your way…you can be prepared to face them with a joyful smile!)

*( This post applies to me more than anyone b/c I know I need to improve my time of studying the Bible… but I do hope you consider to do so as well. If anyone is offended by anything written here, please let me know. That was not my intention at all. If you can add anything to this, please do so in the comments…)

May God Bless!

p.s….Congradulations to those of you who faced finals in your schools and passed!!!

{ a lil car accident and a moment of truth }

After my 12hour night shift, I walk to my car thinking about, of course, my pillow.

well that thought came to a rude halt when my car sounded like this: drrrrrkakakakakrkrkrrkrr rrr rrr rrr rrr

yea, my battery. So, as I hopelessly try to use whatever's left of my sleeping brain, I call the hospital's parking peeps. Well they kindly tell me they can't help since I wasn't parked on the hospital parking lot. boo-hoo

As I look up to heaven for some kind of miracle, I notice a sign that says "NO PARKING 6pm-8am" it was 7:55am. so I turn on my blinker lights and call my daddy-O to the rescue.

Here I notice one of the hospital parking peeps and I wave him down (even though i know he can't help)...well comming outta his car he tells me he can't help me, opening up my hood he explains why, and as he puts the two red and black thingimagiggies, he tells me he is known to be a jerk. I reassured him he has a big heart of endless gold and I will always remember this moment forever and will tell everyone who thinks he's a jerk they are wrong. well, not exactly. but I did say thank you.

As he started my car, the rest of my brain fell asleep and I kept smiling and saying thank you with my eyes practically shut. poor guy. I don't even bother to check my hood.

Well, on my way home, I think about how frustrated I was, my stupid car and the stupid battery, and the darn parking people and their rules. and Why did dad get me this battery that's probably shipped all the way from a village in Moldova no one knows existed....and I got so many compliments and so many people think my car is so nice and runs good, except they don't know its made of practically crap on the inside!!!grrrrr....and then I start to think...wow, I'm really ugly on the inside...kind of like my car right now. God showed a reflection..and I wasn't really happy with myself for thinking like that and quickly finding blame on others.

Thank you GOd for that lesson!

Then I thought, what if I needed the delay to protect me from a horrible wreck that couldve happened on the freeway...and I won't know the big picture until I got to heaven?? could be...and for a second I thought well,whatever! I just need a new car.
(wrong thought!!)

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!

my hood came flying up into my face and I thought the world ended. THAT definitely woke me up, and the drivers on the freeway....and Thank God I was ok, and no one got hurt. But God did make sure I was fully awake to learn my lesson.

It's hard to stay optimistic during rough times, but I learned to filter my thoughts, I learned not to waste time on frustration...I learned to be thankful that God kept me from a possibly worse situation. I learned to trust everything that happens is not out of God's control...even if it is out of my control.

Be Blessed!

We Can Pretend

My biology professors young daughter begged her father to give her one more piece of candy left over from Easter. Her father questioned her on why would she want ONE more piece when she had already had plenty of the candy. When the father questioned his wife on how much candy their daughter had, he found out that the little girl had already eaten eight pieces of candy. Instead, the father said that maybe its better if they could have a healthier snack such as a yogurt (this was at 9 in the evening). Nevertheless the girl begged for at least a little piece of the PEZ candy (the little candy tablets that come with a collectible dispenser). When her father gave her permission, she took out instead a huge marshmallow size candy. Her father told her that its too big and they had agreed on a small candy. And "besides,"he said, "it's not healthy." His daugher replied "But can't I eat it and pretend that it's healthy?"
Children are the most honest and intelligent little people on the planet if I may say so! Sometimes they can shock us with how much they know. But this is not what I'm here to share about. I just wanted to elaborate a little bit on the topic of pretending.
We are all able to pretend in one way or the other and at times it takes skill to be able to pretend and at the same time convince yourself that what you are pretending is the right thing.
A young successful woman in a Gucci suite and expensive heels walks into her spacious New York private office with a smile plastered on her face, greets her secretary cheerfully and closes the door behind her. No one can see the hurt, turmoil, and frustrations within her, all hidden under expensive clothing and a plastic smile, but she is determined to show that she is in control.
A girl who had just been through an abortion can pretend that now all her worries and fears that had to do with her unplanned baby are gone and in the past. She comes back home, pretending that the tiny life within her was nothing but a mass of tissue and her choice certainly had eliminated her worries of having to confront her furious parents if they had found out she was pregnant.
A Christian individual, who sees the crumbling morals of his society, pretends that it's all okay and he/she could swing by and not exactly confront these issues (for example, same sex marriage, abortion, homosexuality, adultery, lust, murder...etc) and at the same time not offend one or the other person when an issue of sinful nature comes up. By pretending, this person's daily hobby is of putting on his/her Christian mask and blending in with the masses just because it seems right...to pretend.
We pretend that a particular issue in our lives is what it should be. We put on a brave face, stick out our chin and grit our teeth, but we all too often wear ourselves out pretending. You see, pretending doesn't always do us good. Just like eating a bagfull of candy in one sitting and pretending that it is healthy will only earn us a painful, scarred-for-life experience at the dentists. Pretending in front of the children that you and your husband are still in love even though you are both quietly filing for divorce, will cause you to loose your children's trust and respect. Pretending that you are okay when in fact you are in the middle of a war within yourself will earn you quizzical glances of friends/family and eventually a trip to a therapist.
Pretending is a full time job with consequences. A full time job is reality...pretending though...is not.

What Should I Do and Who should I listen to?

Oh the question of God's will....How deep and difficult it is to grasp when a specific situation arises where you long to search for an answer. Sometimes, like this particular time in my life, I truly wish God's will would hit me in the face, plainly and clearly...and I would respond with a "ohhhhhh, ok, got it." Interestingly enough, I haven't been hit with anything other than the wind that is kinda hyper today out here in Sacramento. =)

We all search for a clean cut answer. Life would be so simple if answers for any given circumstance, concern or question were found in the lovely useful good ol' Websters...or Wikipedia (eeek! jk). Maybe life would be simply boring actually. And in search of an answer: whether it be where/when to go to college, what to major in, where should I be active in church, how should I handle this relationship, whom to trust/marry/obey/follow, missionary opportunies...often times we will find a different answer for every person we bring it up to....and the answers may even contradict one another.

Knowing that God can answer our questions....we search for "God's answer" from PEOPLE. Surely His answer wouldnt be on a mountain from a cloud...or miraculously from the mouth of a frog...or you know, what have you....my point is that we may accept answers from people who we trust and consider our closest (or consider close enough to God), that we believe God used as a vessel to provide us with His will. That is a possibility and I have no doubt that God does use preachers/pastors/parents and even children to talk to our hearts in particular.

But notice that God doesnt have a limit to the endless possibilities of opening His will for us...and if we search for His will in a bush, I believe even then, you will find it. you know why? Because God CAN answer you....it depends on how ready you are receive it and where you search.

May I offer a reminder to first myself and all of you dear readers...God's beautful Love Letter to us (BIBLE) has already answered all questions mankind can throw at it. Our Father forsees in every possible situation, specific to your life! Amazing isn't it? No, you will not find: "Judy Smith, this is what God's will is for you" in the Bible....but while you searh in His word, the Holy Spirit will touch your heart and guide you to recognize God's calling/answer for your question. Be encouraged, for through His word, we believe we are called sons and daughters of the King of Kings...Who loved us even before our existence.Whom shall I fear??! Praise Him!

Philippians 4:4-7
"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

You are Chosen.

This was written January 2008...it is inspired by a Russian Choir song that has a line "others can...but you can't". I did not make any changes to the content.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May I take some of your time, just to remind you that...you are the chosen one. If you are still reading, it's safe to assume I have your permission and attention. Maybe you have forgotten, maybe you are here wondering what I mean by that. The chosen one. chosen for whom and for what? So hard to accept a title, knowing there must be responsibilities, rules, deadlines...you see, being the chosen one is a gift, it's free. However, losing the gift is still a possibility. When you hold something special that once was received, you surely show it around proudly, happily, gratefully...so don't dim your light! The light that lives in you, the one and only that was once accepted by you, in your decision to turn away from darkness. You have a gift, the gift of light that people of this world search for constantly. This light that we simply cannot live without.

It is like having a CPR card, or an extra life jacket..in a given situation, you are responsible to take action. Starting with your tongue, when you open your mouth, don't be blended into the worldly conversations of empty judgment, criticism, and meaningless topics. Others can, and will. But you can't. Your mouth should be filled with kindness and wisdom. Fill the air with positive thoughts, encouragement and truth. Don't fill your body and soul with filth, for it is true--it is not what goes in your mouth that will hurt you, but what comes out of it. Let your light shine.

It is like having an extra plate of food and seeing a hungry orphan...in a given situation, you are responsible to take action. When you make excuses not to give to those in need, you are filling up the room of worldly people who are clenching the 5 dollar bill when they could be receiving 500 outside. there are too many who give to poor aunt Betty every Christmas, so they can't give 20 to the hungry. Too many go to Thunder Valley and lose hundreds, but will not give 5 dollars to the man obviously in need. those are quick to make excuses to which many find as valid. Others can, and will. But you can't. The light in you should fill every vein in your body and keep your hands circulated with generosity, love and compassion. Don't think of your own financial problems when you know your stomach has been full, and your pillows are waiting at home. It is not what you give that will save you, it is how much blessing are you willing to receive. It's there, waiting for you,don't turn it down. Let your light shine.

In everything you do, remember The Light lives in you, and you are a ray that has to shine. Too many people begin to dim their lights by living the routine of the world. Not everyone accepted Him, yet everyone is searching and yearning for that ultimate state of happiness and love. You are a reflection of that dream fulfilled. The enemy tries desperately to cover you up: steal your time, money, anger you...others can and will fall into that trap. But you can't. Let your light shine.

"...But I'm a Good Person"

There is a common misconception among those who have been raised as Believers and those who do not feel the need to believe in God at all...

It's safe to say that the majority of both groups mentioned either feel better than the "average person" and/or feel as though, generally, they are Good People, respectively.

Having been raised as a Christian, I too can say at one point I felt as though there is some sort of higher level that God sees me in comparison to "extreme" sinners of the world. Surely, I must be a BIT safer...or at least God looks at me a lil more favorably than those who've raped, killed..etc.

So maybe you haven't CONSCIOUSLY thought of yourself as better, but deep doooowwwnn felt it too...

There are atheists who've never experienced drugs...are educated...successful...involved in charity...and believe they don't need to feel guilty for they haven't DONE ANYTHING drastically wrong. "I am a good person," they would say...And most who know them would agree...

There are certain facts the word of God discloses that specifically embarass and object both states of mind...take a look! =)

^{1)GOD HAS NO FAVORITES: 34}Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism"Acts 10:34 (NIV)

2) We ALL have sinned and DONT deserve life:

²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," Romans 3:23 (NIV)

also:

¹²Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
3)Not feeling guilt doesn't make one innocent: "If the entire Israelite community sins by violating one of the Lord's commands, but the people don't realize it, they are still guilty." (Leviticus 4:13 (NIV))
4) Not knowing one has sinned doesn't free one from consequences of sin: "Suppose you sin by violating one of the Lord's commands. Even if you are unaware of what you have done, you are guilty and will be punished for your sin." (Leviticus 5:17 (NIV))
5) Those who are unbelievers may not feel the guilt of sin.
6) Those in whom the Holy spirit Lives will be tormented by sin.

5&6 are in blue because I'd like to elaborate...5) if this is you, then you simply choose not to believe and choose also to ignore, or be oblivious to your slavery to sin...you accomodate and adjust to make yourself comfortable within this dagerous lifestyle...labeling it your "norm." You live your life how you want to within the chains of sin, and you do not fear anyone. You, do not fear GOD...You, my friend, have been deceived...
here is what is written:

PSALM 36:1-2 "Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. IN their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are."

PROVERBS 5:22-23 "An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him. He will die for lack of self-control; he will be lost because of his great foolishness."

Even if you don't believe in the Bible as the word of God, it doesn't change the fact that it simply is.

On the other hand, all those who truly believe....The Holy Spirit in you will assure that sin is not left unnoticed if it is present in your life. if you are #6, then, as David describes...sin will feel like this:

PSALM 31:9-10 "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress. Tears blur my eyes. My body and soul are withering away. I am dying of grief; my years are shortened by sadness. SIN has drained my strength; I am wasting away from within"

PSALM 38:3,4,5 "...my health is broken because of my sins. My guilt overwhelms me--it is a burden too heavy to bear. My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins".

the turmoil that sin causes is experienced only when the Holy Spirit lives in you. Sometimes, unfortunately, the burden of sin is dangerously softened by the self righteous song the devil turns on in someone's head, keeping the heart from hearing God's voice and blurring the reflection of sin on you.

if sin is in your life, and you are aware...do not delay.

Jesus awaits with open arms: He says "I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who KNOW they are sinners." (Mark 2:17.)

Knowing you are a sinner will help you acknowledge the roots of the weeds...and repentence, "I am on the verge of collapse, facing constant pain. But I confess my sins; I am deeply sorry for what I have done." (Psalm38:17-18), like David, will be the first step of accepting this:

"He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what He has done and be amazed They will put their trust in Him." Psalm 40:2-3


Blessings, in His name
victoria

Loosing Sight of Our Leader...

Reading Exodus chapter 32 this morning, really made me wake up and wonder why such dramatic changes and why so quickly...

The people of Israel who Moses had lead out from Egypt, made a false god and worshiped him. I was getting frustrated with Aaron too....why would he make a false god for the people? Did he not know that only One True God exists? What happened to the faith on the people? Did they not know the REAL God, the One who brought them out of Egypt?...

...reading on...in verse 7 God tells Moses to go back down from the mountain because, "your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves". (NASB)

Thinking about the situation that went on at that time and trying to apply that principle to my life today...God opened my heart to understand this:

When the people lost sight of their leader, Moses, they "corrupted themselves" ...made a false god, worshiped him, brought him offerings, etc... All of a sudden something that was once bad, became okay for them.

Offten times in our lives when we loose sight of our Leader, Jesus Christ, we become corrupt and stray off path....even though we may not make golden calves for ourselves to worship, other things become idols or distractions that lead us in a false direction...leading only to hell.

The scary part is this; The people once knew that worshiping a false god is not okay, and yet ....they did exactly that when Moses was out of the picture...
I question myself at times why things that I've looked at as 'negative' in my life, or forbidden, over time become okay and part of my routines...could it be because I'm loosing sight of my Leader, Jesus Christ?

We could be in worship, bring offerings, and feel good about what we are doing, but if that worship and those offerings are not brought to the TRUE GOD Who brought us out of our sinful life, we are no better than the people of Israel.

This lesson is first hand for me, but I want to share it with you, and encourage all of us to never loose sight of our Leader. Jesus Christ. Lets ask ourselves from time to time if we are following the True Leader, the One and Only Way Who will lead us to our promised land- Heaven.

May God Bless you all.

*( As a practical way of constantly being reminded of this principle, we can place sticky notes in random places with the accronyms WWJD...(What Would Jesus Do)...and make sure to place them in spots that may cause us to stray, or stumble...that way when we see the letters, we could be reminded to remember Jesus and if HE would ever do such a thing.)

The Cure for Anxiety

Ok...so I'm not about to make up some fony-balony-cure thing...none of that...don't worry.

Just want to direct you to Matthew Chaper 6:25- 34.

Read it. ...
......then come back and read this post.

****************************************************************************

So a friend kinda stopped me in the middle of my cRaZy-HecKtIk-SuPpeR-BuIsy-ExTrA-sTreSsful-MoMent....(I'm trying to overwhelm you...so you get the point here...)
...told me to stop what I'm doing and go read Matthew 6:25-34.
The moment I oppened my Bible to that spot, all I could see was "The Cure for Anxiety"...( maybe your Bible has that as well, where there is a subheading before each new thought...)
N-E-Waiz...reading along, now supper eager to find out what this "cure" was...(geez...what was I expecting...lol..) and only to find out that it's not a new passage from the Bible, read it before, so what, big deal right...? NOT...
I read it, and re-read parts of it...and ZAPPP!!!...miracle "cure"...my anxiety gone!!!! (ok...not that kinda zapp...and not all gone just like that...hehe, messing with you guys here a little...give me a break. it's late.)

What I figured, (God's Word showed me I should say) ...was that I was worrying too much about the tomorrow that may never come.
Verse 34 stood out the most.
"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (NASB )

Often times we overwhelm ourselves with worries; gotta do this, and that, and make this appointment next week and not miss that one, call this person and e-mail another one, homework, college, church, friends, family, blah blah blah blah...it goes on and on and on....AND ON...un-ending cycle at times, and all we really need is to be reminded of Matthew 6:34.

"Do not worry about tomorrow"
"Tomorrow will care for itself"
"Each day had enough trouble of its own"...

I am not by any means trying to take this verse out of context. at all. just applying it to my life, and hope you do too...think about it this way...
Just take it one day at a time. If you read the passage, you see how the example of the birds and the lilies relates. Amazing. God is Amazing!

We just have to bring our worries/troubles/problems/etc. to HIM. and Trust HIM to take care of us.

If I left something out...fill it in in the comments area. God Bless you guys. and seriously....can we just stop the worrying already?! lol..

*Also, I am not calling you to live your life like a bum, or couch potatoe..No no...making plans and having goals in your life that you strive to achieve is a good thing...worrying about little things toooo much on the other hand is not.

*To that person who remined me what the cure for anxiety is...thank you. May God Bless.