July 26, 2013

Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

So a couple evenings ago I was sitting next to my grandma, holding her hand, trying to keep her calm as she seemed restless. She kept saying she needed to take care of something and I just told her that I would take care of whatever she needed done, that she didn't have to worry about anything. She looked at me and said "You're an angel." Needless to say, I was quite taken aback. I couldn't think of what to say. So, being the genius I am (haha) I came up with "Oh, no, I'm just Morgan..."


Now that I think about it, that could've been meant in two different ways. Maybe she actually thought I was an angel. Or maybe she thought I was just acting like an angel. I don't know which one she meant. Not that it matters. The good thing is that I kept her calm. It just struck something in me because I know Alzheimer's is a tough disease. There are days where my grandma knows who I am and days where she doesn't. Having her in the house, though, makes you appreciate those lucid moments. My grandma is pretty sharp, but you can tell the times where she gets frustrated and the times where she is fully aware.

Have you ever had a moment where everything just clicked? You are fully aware, you know who you are, what you are, and what you stand for. Often, when this happens to me, it's my faith talking. Sometimes I just know that God is with me and He has planned for something to happen. The longer you are a Christian, the more comfortable you get with your faith. So, when something occurs that "isn't part of the plan" you start wondering where God is leading you. Sometimes you can guess and sometimes you don't. At times I envy those people that have certain clarity of what God wants for them. Most of us struggle to understand.

I've only had a few of these moments. It's usually when I'm alone. It happened once when I went on a hike (in Colorado of course) and I just spent time appreciating what was around me. It has happened at a couple of random times where I just knew I was in the right place. I felt completely sure, I felt at peace, and I felt the overwhelming assurance of God's love. The longer you are a Christian and the more you get into a routine, I feel that the more you should try and fight for those lucid moments - those moments when you just know - those moments where you live in the present in full belief of the future God has for you. For many of us, those moments don't happen every day.

I need to work on this just as much as everyone else. I get into my routine and forget to fight for those lucid moments of faith. I get caught up in so many different aspects of life that I miss the joy that's right in front of me. Even though I've been a Christian for so long, I have to constantly practice because I will never be perfect. I will never be an angel on this earth, but I can definitely embrace what God has promised to His believers and extend it to those who could use a little faith, trust, and pixie dust.








"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
-Isaiah 40:30-31

July 21, 2013

It's Not About You...Again

So, I have a blogger app on my phone. I was messing around with it earlier and going back to read an old post because I saw a facebook status that reminded me of it. I wanted to post the link. But, I started re-reading it and I saw a comma was missing so one of my sentences almost didn't make sense. So, because I'm a grammar nazi and I just need the correct punctuation, I edited it and pushed the save button. Well, it moved that post up to the top of all my other posts. So, being a genius who just woke up, I pressed the delete button because it would have put all of my other posts not in order. Realizing what I just did, I panicked and immediately went on my computer to see if it actually deleted that post off of my blog. It did. And here I am. So then I got to thinking, well, I can't get that post back, but I can certainly re-visit the topic. And here it is.


Meeting someone who thinks he/she did something so horrible that God can't forgive them is discouraging for Christ believers because we know that's not true. But, if you've ever encountered a person like that, you know they are hard to talk to because they always come back to the same complaint. God can't forgive me for what I've done. He can't possibly forgive a thing like that. Well, news flash, He can. More and more I have come to know those people as somewhat selfish.

 
For the people that have that mindset, I often just want to tell them to get over themselves. What they have done isn't worse than what someone else has done in their lifetime. It's Not About You. It's not about what you have done, what sin you have committed. In God's eyes, sin is sin. One sin is not ranked higher than the other so He has to give you more forgiveness for it. On Earth, we like to rank sins. Stealing can be a misdemeanor. Murder deserves the death sentence. In God's eyes, all sin deserves a death sentence. Luckily, He took care of that for us a long time ago. It's Not About You. This self-defeatist attitude I've been talking about comes from being selfish and only pitying what plight you're in.

This is all about what God has done for you; this is all about what God has done for me. Don't insult God's offered gift because you feel like you can't be forgiven. Sin is sin in God's eyes. One is not worse than the other. Those who struggle with feeling as if they can't be forgiven, I've got a message for you. It's not about you. It's not about what you've done. It's about what God has given to you no matter where you are in life. God wants you, He wants a relationship with you. Don't run, because life will always catch up with you anyway.







"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
-Ephesians 2:8-9

July 9, 2013

Influential






You know, I was watching a Grey's Anatomy episode a couple of days ago and this one patient on the show is engaged, is a virgin, and is waiting to have sex until she gets married. Of course, the doctors are all making fun of it outside of the room when it gets out that one of the residents is a virgin. Of course, they proceed to make fun of her as well. All fun aside in watching Grey's Anatomy, how wrong is that? I was very disconcerted. This message is on national TV. This message is going out to every single person that watches Grey’s Anatomy. I mean, I know the times I'm growing up in are different than even my parents' time, but the thought that an attitude towards virginity such as this, on a show as popular as Grey's Anatomy, is airing for the world to see disheartens me.  





I'm upset about the message it sends to young girls out there. And I'm not talking about "young people". I'm only 20 and I consider myself quite young, thank you. Girls in college, girls graduating high school, and girls just leaning to be themselves are influenced by this mindset. Guys, you are also influenced by this mindset. The message being sent to everyone watching that episode is "Wow, you're actually a virgin?! Haha, that's ridiculous, you should feel uncomfortable with that." This is a touchy subject for some girls and for some it's not even a subject of consequence. Nevertheless, a message like that should not be so lightly addressed. I have had this belief for the duration of my existence so far: there is nothing wrong with keeping your virginity until marriage. Even if you've been dating someone for a very long time, I feel that there is absolutely no obligation to the guy or girl to take the relationship to that level without marriage. Nobody should be made fun of for it either. If you’re experiencing that, take heart and stand firm. There is nothing wrong with what you are standing for. There are multiple verses in Scripture telling all of us (guys and girls) to honor their bodies through Christ.  We all have our own opinions on the subject, but I know if you're a believer in Christ with me, girls, you should get the same feeling.
 
And let me clarify, if something has happened, you are a Christian girl, and you regret a decision, you can still be right with God. There are messages in scripture that tell us to not have sex before marriage (Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:13, Colossians 3:5), but God gives forgiveness if you ask for it from your heart. All is not lost. I'm not trying to tell everybody the way it should be, I'm just giving you something to think about. Speaking to those who have given up their virginity, I do not claim to know what you’ve been through, what you’ve experienced. I am not judging you; I am in no place to judge anyone, ever. I don’t know whether you regret the decision or not, but if you do regret it, it’s okay to ask for the forgiveness already given to you through Christ. God doesn’t love you less, I don’t love you less, not one person should love you less.
 
So, if you're the patient in this situation, good for you. You've followed Christ in your heart, you’ve followed your faith, and you’re sticking to your morals. If you're the doctors making fun of that patient, leave him/her alone, and ask yourself why you're making fun of that person. Do you regret a decision? Do you not feel right about a decision? Why are you putting that person down? And, if you are that resident being made fun of, let me tell you, there is nothing to be ashamed of. I must speak my mind. People may not understand faith, or may not understand your reasoning, but don't give up something so precious just because this world tells you to give in. 
 
 
Questions? Thoughts? Let me know.
or comment below










"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
-1 Corinthians 6:18-20

 
“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.”
-1 Thessalonians 4:3-8



July 5, 2013

Do Not Attempt

Do you ever wish that life events had labels on them? Like a "Do Not Attempt" label. That friendship that caused you a million issues? Before you entered in, don't you wish life warned you? Don't you wish it told you 'do not attempt'? That relationship with that boyfriend or girlfriend you had? If they weren't your guy or girl, don't you wish that relationship had a 'do not attempt' label?


 
Not eating your vegetables. Do Not Attempt.
Eating an undercooked burger. Do Not Attempt.
Watching that one video. Do Not Attempt.
Breaking that rule. Do Not Attempt.
Rationalizing. Do Not Attempt.
Relying on your own judgment. Do Not Attempt.
Picking a Fight. Do Not Attempt.
Watching that R rated movie. Do Not Attempt.
Meeting that guy/girl. Do Not Attempt.
Applying for that job. Do Not Attempt.
Hanging out around drugs and alcohol. Do Not Attempt.
Smoking just this once. Do Not Attempt.
Getting drunk. Do Not Attempt.
Having sex before marriage. Do Not Attempt.
Pledging your life to this person. Do Not Attempt.
Walking away from God. Do Not Attempt.

Personally, I wish that my faith was like that sometimes. Do Not Attempt those things that will bring you farther from God. It would make free will and those choices so much easier, don't you think? If only God put those labels up, right? Sometimes I think that way and then I have to stop myself. Let's think about why God doesn't do that for us.

First off, that attitude isn't exactly a 'put God first' attitude. All it would be doing is making our lives easier. That's a 'me' attitude if I ever saw one. How can God make my life easier? Sure, it would be nice if God told us what to do, but He already does in a way! His word. The more time we spend with Him, the clearer those choices will be. The more time we spend with Him the more our hearts will be transformed. I'm convicted in this as much as some of you, and it's something I need to work on. Secondly, how else are we going to grow in the Spirit? If answers to our questions were provided, we wouldn't have to pray for guidance. Like me, I know some of you turn to the Lord when you have hardship in your life and not as much when everything is going well. Not that you or I don't ever praise Him in the good moments, but it is common. With all the answers, we wouldn't have guilt or unnecessary pain because it would be easy to make the right choice. But, isn't that how God teaches us sometimes? Isn't learning the hard way how He has to send a message to us sometimes? Yes. 

So, the more I think about having all the answers, the more I think about how easy life would be and how many growing opportunities would escape us. I can't speak for you, but even though I would like to get everything right, I would not want to give up my opportunities to grow in the Lord. So, instead of wishing for obvious, physical 'Do Not Attempt' labels, we should look for those labels in His Word. They are there, you just have to look for them and heed their warnings. It's always a learning process.







"The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward."
-Psalm 19:10-11
 
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction."
-Proverbs 1:7

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