What's on Your Mind?

I haven't asked a question for those of you that actually read these things to answer. I realize that the whole point of this blog was to let your voice be heard. It was supposed to be a place for people to come and just talk. Lately, I've just been venting about my opinion on things. (Sorry if that bored you.) So now, I shall post a blog that has a question for you to answer. 

If you have a Facebook, you know that there is a box that says "What's on Your Mind"? Here is where you can post your status. Some people like to post their status every time they move. Some people post lyrics to their favorite song. Some people barely ever change their status. 

I think that the question "What's on Your Mind" is a great question. I don't ever change my status because I don't want people to know what's really on my mind. I usually have a lot on my mind and I don't think people really have the time to sit around and read every single thing that is on my mind.

So, What's on your mind? 

If Perfect is What You're Searching For, Then Just Stay the Same.

"There's not a thing that I would change. Because you're amazing just the way you are." 

I have to admit, I did some vandalizing today. I wrote these lyrics on the bathroom wall in the bowling alley. Whoops. 

I made one goal at the beginning of the summer when I actually gave my life to God and fell deeply in love with Him. My goal was to tell 5 or more people something encouraging every day. I love getting encouragement. I think most people do.

 So today, I shall keep it short. 

You're amazing JUST THE WAY YOU ARE! 

Love,

Bee(:

...Surrender...

Just last weekend, I went on a youth retreat with the church I go to. My life had been so busy and I didn’t want to go. It’s been a really busy few weeks for me, so I struggled with the idea of “giving up” a weekend… but finally decided that I needed to give my time to God more than to anything else.

What officially won over my indecisive mind was when I heard what the topic of the retreat was…

Surrender.

Though surrender is not a word that I’ve spent much time dwelling on, I knew it was exactly what my heart needed in so many ways right now. I’ve been a bit overwhelmed and stressed about some life things that are bigger than I can take on alone, and I knew I needed to do give them over to better Hands.

This, of course, takes trust… which is something I am very selective about. I’ve discovered that I only trust people that I fully understand and know. I have a hard time trusting someone who I don’t “get” completely. Do you ever feel that way?

Lately, more than ever, I’ve been seeing new dimensions of God that I never have before. It’s not only shaken my understanding of who He is, but how He works. While this is good and something I want continually… it also brings about a strange sense of confusion that begs to be sifted through and reconciled. All this to say, as my understanding of Him was shaken… so was my trust.

This idea of “surrender” is a scary thing. In some ways, it can seem like defeat… giving up… or loosing what is so dear. But with God, surrender isn’t about losing. Surrender, really, is about giving everything to God… in order to gain something better.

God promises that.

While I can’t even begin to explain the journey that God took me on that weekend… I will say that the chains that I entered the retreat with were completely broken by the time I left. God reminded me that He IS the same yesterday, today and tomorrow… and ALWAYS loves us, wants the best for us and has a plan for us.

Surrender is hard. I gave Him things that are the dearest, most precious to my heart. But you know what? I’m free now. I trust that the Hands I gave them to will bring immeasurably more.

Are you holding anything behind your back with fingers clenched? God sees it. You feel it. Maybe it’s time to surrender what you cannot keep… so you can gain what you cannot lose.

["Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." Psalm 37:4-6]

Love,

Bee(:

If This Doesn't Make Your Jaw Drop...

I haven’t blogged in a while. Honestly, I have just been so busy that I haven’t had the time to.  I have so much homework and my home life is just so hectic, that I can barely find time to even sit down and breathe. I’m on student council at my school. Currently, we’ve been working on getting homecoming together and all sorts of things that have to do with that. (I will be so happy when homecoming is over and I don’t have to worry about making a float and getting it to school on time.) I finally got a little bit of free time the other day and I spent it with my best friend that I haven’t seen in a  year.

We were hanging out the other night at her house, just talking and catching up on some of what we had been up to this summer. Somehow we began looking up some youtube videos of different artists and bands. Eventually, we landed on one video that I hadn’t seen before from one of the most popular artists right now. Can I just tell you that we were appalled? As our jaws dropped, we couldn’t believe that what we were watching had actually been released as a public, new music video! It was beyond disgusting. More like, disturbing. Is this supposed to be the new “norm”?

As young people, we don’t have the benefit of ever really getting to see the world in a purer form than it is in now. Frankly, culture has been pretty twisted ever since we’ve known it. Morals and values haven’t been popular or  held in high esteem as long as we’ve known them. In that case, it could be easy to say about our culture, “that’s just the way it is” or “that’s how it’s always been”. Actually… it’s not.

Believe it or not, there was a time when modesty was the applauded standard. When purity was across the board encouraged. When people were expected to hold themselves with dignity and decency. Were there people who strayed from this? Of course! But it wasn’t broadcasted like it is today – and certainly not glorified!

Just because you and I have grown up in a world where indecency, provocativeness, unfaithfulness and filth is “normal”, doesn’t mean that we should become at all used to it. If we let ourselves become numb to these things, all the lines of right and wrong will be blurred.

The Bible says,

“Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22

“… Do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.” 1 Timothy 5:22

“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23

“The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure conscience and a sincere faith.” 1 Timothy 1:5

** “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17

I found it interesting, particularly in the last two verses, that love and wisdom were first of all defined by being pure. And I’m not just talking about the “True Love Waits” kind of pure. I’m talking about our mind… our heart… our motives being pure.

Scripture puts it best here as it says, “Finally, brothers,whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

This is what is to be in our heart!

When we are polluted by the world, we are diluted in our role for the Kingdom of God.As the ways and mindset of the world sets in, it pushes out the power and wisdom that comes from wholly walking with our Lord.

Take the time to examine your heart. Ask God to show you any areas that you have perhaps become numb and haven’t even realized. I’ve been amazed as I’ve done this as well.

Let the things that drop our jaw be the things that are actually beautiful…

a pure heart.

Living in the Footsteps of a Straight-A, Homecoming Queen.

I am constantly compared to my older sister. She’s smart (a straight A student), she’s somewhat athletic, and she’s been on the Homecoming Court two years in a row. I really wanted to be on it this year. I was like “This is gonna be the year, V!” (V – My best friend at school.) Too bad it was not the year. I didn’t make it onto the Homecoming Court; I didn’t even make it onto the Homecoming Ballot.

I guess I just wanted to be on the Court to show people that I’m not the lame loser that sits in the back of the class and writes and plays Bubble Shooter all the time. I just wish I wasn’t so… quiet… at school. Because outside of school, I’m not quiet at all. I’m loud and I can be obnoxious.

I don’t know why I shut down in school. It’s like, I get around these people and I can’t even form an actual sentence. It’s ridiculous and somewhat embarrassing.

I occasionally tell myself I’m not pretty enough, I’m too fat,  I have no friends, I will never amount to anything in life, if I want to make it somewhere in life then I need to be more like my sister… But then I am reminded that the outward appearance doesn’t matter, I do have a friend and that is God, I will amount to something in life because God has a plan for me and that plan is bound to be awesome.