Why do we strive to be loved?

Why do we strive to be loved by other people? Why do we feel like if someone else does something, then it's okay for us to do it, to even out the playing field? Why do we strive to make things fair when we know that life isn't always going to be? Why do we worry about what other people think more than what God thinks of us? Why can't we do what's right no matter what everyone else is doing? Even if things don't turn out fairly, isn't the satisfaction of knowing you're doing what Jesus would do better than knowing that you were just as low as the other people? Why isn't God's love enough for us, and we feel like we need to feel loved by other people? Why aren't we satisfied with God's love when it's the greatest love of all? He sent His PERFECT son to die for people like us, who disregard His ultimate act of love! Why can't we realize that He's on our side and that when we stand up for what we believe in no one can stand against us because we have the Creator of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE with us?

Esther

I had to write a paper about a faithful follower in the Bible for Literature last year. I love Esther's story and I think she's a great example to all of us on how to be faithful to God.

Esther is a very inspiring character from the Bible because she trusted God to help her through all of the hardships she faced. She understood God's will and followed through in doing it, even though it was hard.

When the king was looking for a new queen, Esther was taken from her home and had to be kept at the palace for a long time to be brought before the king. After the king picked her, she and her people were put in danger by an evil man named Haman. When her cousin Mordecai begged her to ask the king to spare them, she decided to do it because she realized that that was the reason God had put her in that position. After doing the dangerous task of going before the king, he granted her request, and her people were spared.

Ester was faced with many challenged but she stayed true to God through it all. She showed great courage by doing something life-threatening for the sake of her people. She proved that you need to trust that God will get you through hard things, and that if you do God's will you'll never come out empty handed.

Now I want to know..who's your favorite Bible character and why? Esther is one of my favorites, as well as David, because he was THE musician of the Bible. He had such a heart of worship!

~Amy

Use What's in Your Hands.

Well it seems like this has been coming up a lot in my life lately. I feel like God is really wanting me to work in this area. I've recently started reading PURE by Rebecca St. James and it has been amazing and today's devo was about asking God to do new things in your life so that you can further His kingdom. And also today, I watched a sermon from Hillsong church called Use What's in Your Hands, which was about noticing God's calling and how you can use that to fulfill His purpose.

Well in the sermon Brian Houston said that what's in your hands in your calling, what is familiar to you, what you're doing now. What's in your heart is your purpose, your dream. We end up not being happy with ourselves because we want to fulfill God's purpose for us, but we just don't see it happening because of where we're at right now.

We need to use what's in our hands in order to fulfill our purpose. We need to take where we're at now, and use the opportunities that God has placed in our lives. God doesn't just put us in circumstances for no reason. He wants us to use the situations that we are in now, so that He can use it to open doors for us so that we can fulfill that purpose, that desire that God has given us.

Maybe you're thinking, what opportunities has God placed in my life? I don't see any opportunities that I can use to bring others to Christ. Well then all you need to do is ask Him. Ask Him to show you the opportunities He has given you. Or maybe you're thinking, I'm doing all I can, but it just doesn't seem to be working. Then ask God to give you new opportunities to give back and show others His amazing love.

Song of Songs

Hey! In my English class I had to write a paper on an Old Testament book of the Bible. I decided on Song of Songs. Although it was quite challenging I really enjoyed learning more about this book that many tend to look over. I got a perfect A on it so I decided to share it with you in hopes that you will get something out of it!

Here goes:

Song of Songs is the perfect example of how Christians should handle their relationships. This book can be viewed in an allegorical way, a relationship between man and God, or in a literal way, a relationship between a man and a woman. By looking at both views, one can learn how to treat all of their relationships in a way that would please God. 2 Timothy 3:16 states that “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching…”; Song of Songs included.Song of Songs is a unique book of the Bible because it is a poem, where many of the other books of the Bible are in a story or letter form. It was written by King Solomon, and because of its title, many believe that it is the greatest out of the 1,005 songs or poems the he wrote. The book was most likely written during 10th Century B.C., a time when Solomon was close to God and before his seven hundred wives and three hundred girlfriends. It tells the story of Solomon and his beloved. It is like a romance novel with topics like sexuality and faithfulness in marriage. Although numerous people tend to skip over this book, it cannot be ignored or one will fail to see the message that God has given us. He didn’t leave us without any guidance on how to find continual joy in relationships with others (Cole).

Who do you want in your life?

I'm basing this off of a Devo from Chad Eastham in Inside Out: Our Stories, Our Faith in 40 Devotions, called "Who's Who and Whose"

I have great news! You get to decide who you want in your life. Sure there will be some who you don't have much of a say in, like your family, your pets, etc. But for the most part, you do!

Maybe you're one of those people who are always trying to impress someone else. Well forget about trying to figure out what they want out of you and figure out who you are and who you want to be. When you like yourself and you have confidence in yourself other people will see that and they will be attracted to you too.

Now don't go out and about saying "I'm so awesome!" or "Don't I look great today?" I'm not talking about being stuck up and conceited. I'm telling you to know your worth because you know who created you! And God never makes mistakes! We are all beautiful, unique and God has a special purpose for each of our lives.

"When you know both who you are and whose you are, it shows in your life. And that confidence, that attitude, becomes a strong, positive magnet that attracts others to you. It's what makes you lovable. That's how you get to decide who's in your life and how you're treated." - Chad Eastham

About me and my blog

So, I'm going to take this oppurtunity to tell you about myself and this blog.

I'm a teenage girl who is absolutely in love with her Creator, God. He's everything to me! I would be soo lost with out him. I also really love music. I sing, play guitar and piano, and write songs. I also hope someday to become a Christian musician or a worship minister becuase I believe that music can have such an effect on people. I always feel closest to God when I'm singing a great worship song. I also have many other interests. I like a lot of things and am very versatile. Some of the other things I like to do are acting, playing volleyball, reading, scrapbooking, designing, and pretty much anything that will let me use my creativity. I love watching TV and movies, going to concerts, and just listening to music.

In this blog I will try to post regularly. As I read books and devotions, or listen to sermons or an awesome song, I'll fill you in on my opinion and the different things I learn in hopes that it will help you too. I'll tell about experiences that I have whether it's something life-changing, funny, or even just terrible, hoping to bring impact, no matter how small to your life.

Also, I want to hear your thoughts. I might sometimes ask for opinions or to hear about an experience you've had. And even if I don't ask, I'd still love to hear about it. Anytime you want advice, have a question or just need prayer, let me know and I'll try to help in the best way that I can.

Well, that's pretty much all I have for now. I hope you enjoy my blog and that it helps to bring you closer to God. I hope that you can see all the fun it can be to live as a Christian and how awesome it feels to have such a wonderful Father in heaven who will always be there for you and who will love you no matter what.
~Amy