Loving life with Jesus

Life can throw unexpected situations at us that can be sometimes difficult to handle. As humans, we love the comforts of our lives and planning out every situation we go through or have to face. The problem with that, is that there is only one person who knows exactly what is going to happen and has control, and unfortunately that person is not us. We may think we can control what happens, but really the only thing we have control of is how we react and respond to the situations we find ourselves in. Are we going to surrender and say yes to where God is leading us, or are we going to ignore His calling and stay in our comforts? I am not saying that our comforts are bad, because they are not....unless they hold us back from following God. God will put us in situations for His purpose, to test and strengthen us, even though we may never understand why. Instead of being afraid of the unknown, we need to trust God and step into uncharted waters with faith. He will never put you in a situ...

  1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” Imagine if the whole world could live by this standard that God has given us? There would be so much peace, love, and unity between everyone, and the world would be a different place. To truly love someone is to do what 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 says. As humans, with our sinful nature, we have a hard time putting on love and showing it to everyone around us. God is love, and is the greatest example of how we should love someone. God gave up His only son to die to save us because He loved us so much, and could not imagine heaven without us. Not only did Jesus willingly die for us, God is SO patient with us, forgives us no matter what, rej...

  Lungs too heavy to breath, heart racing, hands shaking, all while you mind is racing with the thoughts, "When will this ever end?" Stomach turning, body sweating, "What is wrong with my body? Am I going to die? I can't catch a breath....I can't breath." Anxiety, panic attacks...unfortunately a normal part of a lot of people's everyday lives, but it does not have to have the power to take control of your life and tell you, you are messed up because your body reacts the way it does. It can a part of you without being you. I have always been a person who thinks too much and when you add that with stress it does not mix well. I started getting anxiety in elementary school because of bullying and stress and I have had it ever since. I got my first four panic attacks this past year and the first time I had it, I thought I was going to die. Knowing what to expect, now helps me to recognize it quicker and deal with it so it does not get out of control. But r...

  Hurt, a word we can easily give power to, to define who we are. When we are hurt by someone, especially if they are close to us, it can leave scars on our hearts and wound us to the point where we don't think we will ever be able to heal from it. At one point in my life, I thought it would be impossible to ever trust people again, because I was afraid to let myself get hurt one more time. I thought my heart was far gone from being mended and I would never feel normal again. Allowing the hurt to consume yourself, making yourself feel like you are sitting in the dark all alone, will just hurt you even further to the point of suicidal thoughts. If we sit with the hurt too long, we can allow it to creep into every part of our lives and define us for who we are. Once it starts to define us, we believe all the lies we have been told and that the hurt we have experienced is who we are and we will never be without it and should just accept it and live with it weighing us down each and ...

  And just like that another year has gone by in a blink of an eye. Though this year has definitely been one for the books. Last year, on December 31 st at 11:59pm everyone was gathered with their families and friends ready to welcome the new year of 2020 and celebrated when that hand turned to 12:00am. Little did we know that we were celebrating for a year that would make history. No one knew what was going to happen or that we would be living in a world wide pandemic. I bet most people are cheering for 2021 because it means we get to leave this past year behind us and this year was one many would not like to remember. This pandemic has taken a lot from me and everyone around the world. This past year was suppose to be the year I would finish my senior year, have a graduation, and so many more things that we were unable to do because of the world we live in right now. Even though I am so excited for this new year, this past year has not been all bad. Instead of looking only to t...

  Christmas is by far my favorite holiday of the whole year. Growing up, I understood the true meaning of Christmas, but like any kid the presents and the food were always first in line inside of my head. To say, Christmas is about Jesus' birth and how he came to earth to save us from our sins, is one thing, but do we actually understand what that means for us, or are we just saying that because that is what we were taught as kids to say? The older I became, the more I started to realize how much more significant Christmas actually is. I mean, the beginning of the story already starts off bizarre! Mary becomes pregnant by the Holy Spirit with the Son of God. To me, that already is almost humanly impossible to comprehend, because it is something that does not normally happen here on earth. God sent His only son, to the earth as a baby, to be born in a dirty, smelly, and uncomfortable stable, so He could be killed for us. I don't think that would be easy for any parent, to give t...

  Most of my life, I never had many friends, and if I did, they always found some excuse to leave me. I dealt with a lot bullying for many years in school, and became very insecure in who I was. I am naturally more of a quieter person, but after dealing with all of this, I really shut myself off to everyone. I built this huge wall around myself, and would grow it bigger every time I was hurt. It caused me to feel so insecure in who I was, I would hate how I looked, how God made me, and I would never talk because I became so afraid I would be judged or would say something wrong. I believed people did not care about what I had to say or who I was and so, I would hide in my shell where at least I was partially safe from being hurt. Masks...masks are such a huge problem for so many people, and became too easy for me. It was scary how easy it was for me to put a mask on and show who I wanted people to see. It became a regular thing for me to cover up how I was really feeling and only sh...