Having Time vs. Making Time

I sat in church this past Sunday with a lot on my mind; so, of course, the sermon was on being busy and feeling like you have a lot to do. .....I think God has a great sense of humor sometimes.

There was a part of the sermon that really got me thinking. Funnily enough, it wasn't even the main message of the sermon, but was rather a thought that I just couldn't let go of once it was brought up. The message was talking about our relationships with God and how we all usually "have time" for our relationship with God. But, there's usually a big difference between having time and making time. What's the difference? Let's step on toes to find out.

Let's start with prayer. I'll start with my own personal confession with my prayer time: I oftentimes use whenever I have just laid down to go to sleep as the time that I pray. I'll thank God for blessing me with another day, I'll pray about the relationships and people that I normally pray about on a regular basis, and then I'll cover my prayer request for the day. I normally make it all the way through....unless I fall asleep, of course.

Now, this doesn't seem that bad!....until I start to check my reasoning. Why do I pray just as I lay down? Because it is convenient for ME!...I'm not doing anything else while I'm laying there, so why not talk to God? .....this is a prime example of how laziness can creep into our relationship and allow us to not take it seriously. Giving God, the Creator of the Universe and the Giver of my salvation, my "leftover" time of day whenever I have nothing better to do is kind of sad to think about.

Now, let's scale it back to put it into simpler terms. To broaden the point here, we can even step further back and just talk about all relationships in general. So, instead of specifically talking about prayer, let's talk about talking. Have you ever just talked to a person at a time that was convenient for you rather than make time in your schedule to talk to them? Sure you have!....we all have! We live in a fast-paced, demanding world: multi-tasking and fitting things into our schedules maximizes the number of things we can get done!

....both of these mentioned examples are exactly how we have time for God and the people in our lives, but we oftentimes do not go out of our way to make time for them.

Now, here's the main problems that I see with us having time rather than making time for the relationships and things most important in our lives:
1) Oftentimes, increasing the quantity of things we do can overall decrease the quality of the things we do. We may think that we are doing great because we are getting so many things done at one time. In one car ride, so much can be accomplished: We're taking large strides in the career we want. We appear to be making good efforts in the relationships that we are in. We are staying healthy. We are making efforts in our relationships with Christ. We are getting where we need to be. Now, all of these things are good things that should be managed and taken care of! But how well are you really managing and taking care of them all?
2) Pleasures can become obligations. Remember when you genuinely loved every second of talking to the person you were in a relationship with? You couldn't get enough! You cared about what they had to say, you asked questions about what was important to them, and you wanted nothing more than to make that person feel special. However, eventually with time, this can sadly fade. Different things in the world start to happen, and sometimes you'll find yourself just "having time" for that person because they are there and that's what you're "supposed" to do. Our relationships with Christ can oftentimes be like this as well. Once someone becomes a new believer, there is nothing more exciting in the world! You want to talk with Jesus, study His world, and worship Him continuously! But, as the pressures of the world pile on, this feeling begins to fade. Sometimes we'll even shamefully start to read the Bible or pray because "that's what a Christian is supposed to do everyday."
3) Busyness can tempt us to break a commandment from God. 1 Corinthians 16:14 says: "Your every action must be done with love." Love is a word that is thrown around quite a lot in our society....so much so that people are oftentimes unaware of its true meaning (which can be fully seen and explained in 1 Corinthians 13). The next time you have time rather than make time for Christ, someone you're in a relationship with, another believer, or even a stranger: ask yourself, "Are you truly showing love to them?" ...and not just the "I have to go to work now....But I love you!" kind of love. But are you truly loving that person in the way that God tells us what love is?         

It's so easy to not take Scripture seriously sometimes. But, for us not to take God's Word and live it out in our lives is foolish. We have the greatest lifeline we'll ever need in this life at the tips of our fingers: and that's something worth taking seriously.

So, I challenge you as you go throughout the upcoming days, to make time: Make time to talk to Jesus sometime during the day when things seem like they're starting to get crazy. Make time to do or say something for the one you love even though it might not be convenient or comfortable for you. Make time to fellowship and build-up other believers. Make time to make friends and share the Gospel with a stranger.

Ultimately, show God's love by making time to love. Let the ones you love know that you love them. And make time to let this world know that there's a God who loves them more than they'll ever even begin to know.

  

He Knows.

I went to Winter Jam yesterday in Charlotte, North Carolina. For anyone who has never experience something like Winter Jam, I suggest looking up future dates and locations because it is definitely an event where God is constantly at work as a body of believers gathers together.

 Now, I can normally be a big crier if something hits me the right way at the right time and the true beauty of Christ is revealed to me: and I am unashamed to say that I cried on three separate occasions during this concert. It was during three separate songs: 

1) Oceans (Performed By: Newsong)

2) He Knows (Jeremy Camp)

3) Overcome (Jeremy Camp) 

As a senior in my last semester of undergraduate studies, I have experienced many feelings of fear, anxiety, and uncertainty whenever it comes to the future lately. 

1) As a follower of Christ, I still find myself uncertain if I am fully capable and brave enough of going down whatever path that God lays out for me in the future. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics:

Spirit, lead me where my trust is without borders,

Let me walk upon the waters,

Wherever You would call me. 

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander,

And my faith will be made stronger,

In the presence of my Savior.

2) I feel like those feelings of fear and anxiety can be the worst feelings sometimes because no matter how hard you try to explain it to others sometimes, it can be frustrating because nobody can ever fully understand what exactly it is you are personally going through. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics: 

He knows, He knows. 

Every hurt and every sting, 

He has walked the suffering. 

He knows, he knows.

Let your burdens come undone,

Lift your eyes up to the One who knows.

3) Sometimes I start to have doubt and wondering about whether or not it is even possible for me to be able to handle news, situations, and circumstances that I may face in the future. With having this feeling, that's where I found the beauty in the lyrics:

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, 

Worthy of all of our praise, You overcame.

Jesus, awesome in power forever,

Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame.

We will overcome, 

by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony,

everyone overcome.

For anyone reading this that is currently experiencing any sort of fear or doubt, make these lyrics your prayer. Pray to have the courage and faith mentioned in Oceans, the understanding of God's love in He Knows, and the confidence and peace of knowing that Jesus overcame all in Overcome. God is so much greater than anything this world can throw at us....and I definitely know that can sometimes be easy to forget.

"I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world."

-John 16:33

So What's the Good News?

I've learned that one of the hardest things in life is to accept bad news.

Whether you've just received bad news, are anticipating having to accept bad news in the near future, or are living in a world of nothing but rainbows and unicorns right now, the fact of the matter is that bad news in this life is inevitable.

Sometimes it's a grade. If you're in school right now, you've probably experienced some sort of bad grade from one time or another. What's especially hard is whenever it's a paper or exam that you spent a whole lot of time writing or studying for, only to be disappointed anyways. As you look at the grade in which you wish were higher, you must accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's a loss. When it comes to sports, this can seem extremely detrimental at the time. If you were to go ask Bill Buckner about Game 6 in the 1986 World Series, he could probably tell you something about the bad news of a loss. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18caPNisP2U ....for all you non-Red Sox fans! haha). As Buckner saw that ball trickle to right field after failing to field a routine ground ball, he had to accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's a lack of acceptance. Every single one of us has an ideal job we want. Or a dream school to get into. Or a dream career path. However, everyone getting accepted by exactly what we want just isn't possible. Sometimes you get rejected by the school you want to attend. Sometimes you don't get the job. So, what must you do if this happens? Accept this bad news.

Sometimes it's sickness or death. It doesn't take a genius to tell you that life on earth doesn't go on forever. Sometimes, the life of a loved one is cut shorter than you'd like. Sometimes doctors deliver news that you'd rather not hear. This is some of the worst news to accept.

So, you might be getting a little down from reading this now. So if bad news is inevitable, are we just supposed to sit around in fear of its arrival? This is where the Good News begins!

Scripture tells us in Psalm 112:7: "He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord."

Is bad news to be expected? Yes! But, as Christians, we can see that we have nothing to fear! God is in control of everything that has ever happened, is happening, or will ever happen in the future! He knows what we need more than we ever will. He always knows what's best for us, and He has a perfect plan for everything to fall into place exactly how it's supposed to according to His will. As long as we have that trust in Him, our hearts can be confident in knowing that He will allow us to weather storms and overcome any news that appears to be "bad" in this life.

Additionally, whenever you find yourself facing some bad news, I suggest opening up Scripture...because it shows us that God has some amazing news for us!

"Worrying Christian":The Oxymoron

It was a typical Sunday this morning when I woke up in Chapel Hill. Well, as typical as it could be for me lately. I got up to fix my coffee and cereal and get ready for church; however, suddenly plans changed where I was no longer able to go. To be honest, this was just another thing for me to worry about at the time. But, as soon as I thought I had reached my breaking point, God showed up, right on time, to show me He's got this....and that He's had it all along. 

I will keep it blunt for you: I have been wrapped up in sin lately. Most people will immediately start wracking their brains trying to think of sins one could struggle with: drunkenness, sexual immorality, lying, maybe stealing? While many struggle with some of these things and I might to, that is not what I am referring to; I am talking about what I believe to be the most widely accepted sin in all of Christianity: worrying.

In Matthew 6, verse 25: Jesus states: "Don't worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food and the body more than clothing? " He goes on again in verse 34 and says: "Therefore, don't worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble on its own."

I sometimes make excuses for my worrying. I'll say things to myself like "It just shows how much I care!" or "It's just because I want things to work out!" or (as much as I'm ashamed to admit) "I know God's in control...but I just can't help but to still worry about it!" Well, we can ramble on and on about all the excuses we want, but if there's anything that Scripture shows us here, it's that God commands us to not worry. Within a matter of ten verse, God commanded us to not worry twice. To go against what God has clearly commanded in Scripture, is to sin. No matter how much we don't like to admit it or make excuses for myself, it really is as simple as that. 

Now, as I said earlier, I didn't get to go to my normal church this morning. But, first, let me back up for you a little bit.

 Lately, I have been stressed while at school. School and stress are pretty synonymous to me: so I worry about it. I have important exams I have to take: so I worry about them. I am a senior in college, so I am trying to figure out where I am going and what direction I am going to be headed when I graduate in May: so I worry about it. I'm a young woman (that's scary to say!), and I want the best for my health and body image: so I worry about it. At school, I'm away from family and relationships that are extremely important to me: so I worry about them. So, basically, I have been drowning in a sea of worry lately! 

So, back to this morning: I am overwhelmed and anxious about all of these things going on, so I was so excited to go to a place of worship this morning to really put all that aside....and the opportunity to go was suddenly gone: so I worried about it. I was initially upset about this and I didn't know what to do, so I decided to fix me a cup of coffee and listen to my old youth pastor preach from a podcast I had downloaded from his church a couple years ago. I scrolled down to one of the first sermons, and a sermon title caught my eye: "FEARLESS: Stop Worrying and Start Living." Of course, this caught my interest, and I clicked on it....only to find that God knew exactly what was going on. 

The sermon preached out of Matthew 6, and referenced the verses that I had mentioned above. I had to pause the sermon multiple times so that I could take notes from everything he was saying, because it all appeared to be things God was wanting me to hear directly! But, out of everything that was said, one statement really hit home for me:

"Worry is a slap in the face of the sovereignty of God."

Truer words could not have been spoken. I was so worried about everything going on around me, but to do so was to go against God's Word and tell Him that my situation was too big for Him to handle. Who am I to do that? Who am I to tell the God of our great universe that I'm worried that He's not going to take care of me when Scripture clearly promises me that He will? 

Needless to say, I'm so thankful God allowed me to hear the words He wanted me to hear this morning, even though it wasn't according to my initial "plan". I'm thankful He's given me a peace this morning about being diligent in the problems that I can do something about, and letting go of the problems that I can't do anything about. I'm thankful God can bless me with contentment in life, even when I sometimes desire more. But, mostly, I am SO thankful that I serve a God that is so much bigger than any test I could ever take, any family, friendship, or relationship problem I could ever face, any self-doubt that may come my way, or anything that doesn't fall into my "ideal plan"! 

My prayer today is that for me, and anyone reading this, to cast our worries, struggles, and anxieties to the Lord. Keep faith in our God, as well as faith in His timing, because at the end of the day, the spreading of the Gospel and our relationship with Him is all that really matters. 

  

Get Excited!

So let me tell you about an awesome person that God allowed me to not only meet this summer...but blessed me with as an amazing friend as well! Sara (I KNOW!...what an AWESOME name!) is somebody that I instantly was able to connect with. We had really similar senses of humor, we liked a lot of the same movies, we both had a joy of being at camp, and- most importantly- we both had a love for Christ!

Now, as much as I love Sara, there is one thing that I absolutely admire about her: her excitement! It's not something that she goes out and flaunts for all to see- but, as her friend, it has been something that I have seen as prevalent and has been a great witness to myself.

I've seen this excitement on multiple occasions....but one in particular stands out.:

It was one of the last Staff devotions for the summer this past summer at camp, and the theme of it was simple: prayer. We each would go from station to station, and each station had something different set up and told you a specific thing to pray about. One station had a small can with a candle on the inside of it. The purpose of the station was to pray about any sin or anything that was holding you back, ask for forgiveness from it, write it on a piece of paper, and then throw it into the fire (signifying that you were getting rid of it).

That night, after the devotion was over, Sara and I went and sat outside the staff cabin to have one of our many "talks" from the summer. Sara shared with me what it was that she had been struggling with, and how excited she was about throwing it in the fire! I'll never forget how excited she was to be set free from that: it was something that I couldn't help but get excited about, just by hearing her talk about it!

Such an awesome story couldn't help but to make me wonder: What if non-believers felt this way about Christians? What if they could just tell in the way that we talked, the stories that we told, and the actions that we had, that we were SO excited about our relationships with Christ, that they couldn't help but to get excited about it, too!  

Psalm 100:3 says: "Know that the Lord is God! It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture."

Our Lord is God! Maybe it's time that we realize how exciting that is and share that excitement with others! Let others get excited with you. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you up so much, that you can't help but to allow it to overflow.

Allow that to be your prayer today.

Walk the Talk

In the DC Talk song "What If I Stumble?" the opening line says this:
"The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."

Ouch. If you're like me, hearing such a brutal truth is pretty hard to hear. Not only is it hard to hear....it's heart-breaking to hear as well. It's amazing to think that the very people who have a belief in Jesus Christ being the Son of God could potentially be one of the biggest stumbling blocks for non-believers.

Such a line is very real because it is not afraid to step on any toes. It is just telling it like it is. And, if you don't think such a statement is true, think about any of the following scenarios!:

-A college student who claims to be a Christian, yet has no problem going to places they know they should not be and doing things they should not be doing on Friday or Saturday nights.
-An individual who claims to be a Christian, yet wishes to draw a thick line between Saturday night and Sunday morning.
-An unmarried couple that claim to be Christians, yet they have no problem participating in acts of sexual immorality.
-A parent who claims to be a Christian, yet pushes their son or daughter to follow their will instead of the Father's.
-An individual who sings hymns on Sunday mornings, yet is willing to say ungodly words throughout the week.

....and, to be honest, this is just a few scenarios that are just the tip of the iceberg.

I cannot just point fingers and state that many other Christians I know have participated or not acknowledged Christ by their lifestyle: I am as guilty as anyone else. I have been at points in my life where I can honestly say that I was truly a hypocrite. I would tell people how much I loved Jesus, and go to church every Sunday morning and Wednesday night...yet I would allow the words and actions of my life throughout the week not show the love of Christ....but, rather, the love of worldly desires.

Colossians 3:5-10 says:
"Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

When we become a true believer, we have ALL been renewed in Christ. It's time that we start taking that more seriously. Whether you're a believer who is currently on a mountaintop, a believer that is caught up in a cycle of struggling sin, or a believer that knows in their heart they are claiming to believe one thing, yet living a lifestyle that appears to reveal another, we all need to realize that we are disciples for Christ. We are the one ones that have the hope that can save nations. We have the answer to all of life's problems.....and it's time we start living like it.

**Note: If you are not aware of what it means to be a believer and follower of Christ, I would be more than happy to share this great news with you! You can message me at: https://www.facebook.com/sara.marshall.75 or e-mail me at: saramarshall7@att.net.

Just Pray.

In the town of Statesville, the past week has been nothing short of absolutely tragic. My prayers go out to Dalton Edwards. And my prayers goes out to all of the victims and families of the Front Street Baptist bus incident. It's times like these that our number one resource and source of hope is prayer.

Psalm 50:15 says: "And call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

I will have a regular blog post posted over the next couple of days. But, for right now, I just ask for your prayers. I am a strong believer in the power of prayer. And I am also a strong believer of prayer with numbers.

Only One Master

Being in college really helps to reveal to you what is important to people. College is all about a time in which you get to choose how and where to invest your time, what organizations you want to be a part of, which people you want to spend your time with, and what major you want to focus in on. 

One thing that I have constantly struggled with, especially since I arrived at Chapel Hill in the Fall of 2011, was trying to figure out "what I want to do with my life." It's a common dilemma that many college students face. Many come in "Undecided" and take different courses to figure out what it is they enjoy or what they picture themselves doing in the future. And, to be honest, it is actually kind of scary. Nothing was scarier than the day that it dawned on me that I was given four years to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life! 

Shameful to say, but while there are many factors that influenced my decision, there was ALWAYS one factor that weighed heavy on my mind: money. In our current economic state, it's every college student's biggest fear to choose a major that ends up not being able to get them a job. Or, something that I have found to be particularly true for many people that I know: many people desire an extremely comfortable lifestyle whenever they get out into "the real world." 

While I do believe that individuals need to be practical in the choices they make concerning the future, there is a verse of Scripture that came to my attention in my Bible study last week that I found to be relevant: 

Matthew 6:24 says: "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." 

Do I want my slice of the American Dream? Do I want my huge house, with a nice car in the driveway? Honestly, yes. However, the realization that I had to come to was that I had one Master. I can't claim to be a follower of Christ, but then reserve a part of my heart for my love of having my ideal lifestyle and economic status one day. While those things would be nice, they hold no eternal value. We need to be investing our life, time, and resources to things that are lasting (From Experiencing God).

If you desire to be in the middle of God's will, He is going to bless your life. You may not be living in a mansion in Beverly Hills, but you will have great joy and satisfaction in knowing that you are living the life that God has called you to live.     

What a Great Day!

So, if you are a college student (or have ever been a college student) you have to know that there has been THAT day. You know which day I'm talking about. It was either in a past semester, in your current semester, or (if you're like me) you've had THAT day every semester of your college career.

You can't ever avoid THAT day. It comes every week...whether you are prepared or not. Sometimes, if you're reallyyyy unlucky, THAT day is actually a couple of days in your week. For me this semester, that's my scenario!

THAT (actually...THOSE) days for me this semester are Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays and Thursdays appear to be the longest days in the history of the world for me! From the time I get up at 7AM to the time I get back to my room at 7:30PM, the day is just a continuous chain of non-stop things to do! If I'm not going to class, I'm in class. If I'm not in class, I'm leaving a class. If I'm not leaving a class, I'm studying or reading for a class. .....you get the picture!

In past semesters, this day is normally the day I had a Biology or Chemistry lab. Or, like this semester, it's a day that a bunch of classes happen to be on! Whatever you situation, all of these days have one thing in common: you do not necessarily look forward to them.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to start my Tuesday, a good friend of mine texted me this verse:

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." -Psalm 118:24.

How true is that?! How crazy is it to DREAD a day in which the Lord has blessed you with?

We don't always look forwards to busy days. Or days we have exams. Or days we have to go to the dentist. Or the days we have to wake up super early. But, instead of looking at those days as something that we have to get through, why don't we count our blessings and look at them as days that we get to get through? We should be rejoicing in each day, because each day is nothing short of a blessing from God!

That being said, I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL day!...and, always remember, it is always a day to rejoice when you have a relationship with our Savior!

Overheard

Okay...so one of my favorite things about Facebook now is looking at the posts that are put in this group that I am in called "Overheard at UNC." Basically, what people do is post random things that they hear while being on campus at sometime during the day. To me, most of theses posts are absolutely hilarious!! (MOST...definitely not all). They range from lunch discussion to comments about how much we despise Duke. Here's a few of the recent ones to help you get an idea:

"...Africa, the most commonly cited third world country."

Girl taking her Macbook to ITS: "It won't turn on."
ITS Guy: "Have you tried charging it?"
Girl: "But it's a Mac."

"I'm a feminist, so I can do whatever I want."

"Chess is just a weird version of checkers, right?"

....I think you get the picture. If we really think about it, though, we all can have some very interesting conversations throughout the day! And, if anything, such a group as "Overheard at UNC" is proof that people around you DO take notice to what it is you are saying! So what does Scripture have to say about this?: Well, Ephesians 4:29 says: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

What if, as Christians, we took this message to heart? What if we watched every single thing that we said so that it would only build up His kingdom? What if we were Overheard?....would it truly benefits those who are hearing the words that we have to say?

I challenge us all to approach all of our day-to-day conversations in this way. Let's act as though non-believers might be overhearing us. Let's let our words be a true reflection of our faith. ....because there's a chance that what you happen to say is the only representation of Christ some people may ever see.

How About a Little Modesty?

Well, first and foremost, you should know that this post is probably going to be more relatable if you are a female. Normally I would not want to "discriminate", but, as a female,  there is something that I feel like I need to say!

So, I have just finished up my third week of school. It's now the first week of September. Autumn weather has not yet settled in. If you were to close your eyes, you would probably guess that we were still in the middle of the month of June. Or, to put this in more blatant terms: It is still pretty hot outside! Yesterday was a perfect example!: I'm not going to lie, I kind of broke a sweat on my walks to class.

That being said, this hot weather has apparently given females to have an open invitation to dress....pretty much however they want to. And, the sad thing is, our society thinks that this is totally okay!

So, i just have to go ahead and say it: it is distracting! And remember, this is coming from a girl's perspective...God only knows how distracting it must be for all the males out there! But, I guess that is kind of the point? Our society feeds us this idea that we have to be able to catch a guy's attention. Or that we are "liberated women"...which means we can dress or act however it is that we want.

I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be that way. Actually, I'll take it a step further and say that it's not supposed to be that way.

1 Timothy 2:9 says: "I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles and gold or pearls or costly attire."

Modesty. Decency. Propriety.

Society can feed you all the lies it wants to about what it means to be "beautiful" or what needs to be done or worn to "keep a guy around." I'm here to tell you that we should protect ourselves. We are more than that: we are children of God. We are not meant to be stumbling blocks for the males that surround us. We are not meant to allow for ungodly thoughts to be sparked. We are not meant to disrespect ourselves and our brothers in Christ.

So, to all the females out there, I would like to say this: you are beautiful. You do not need approval from guys to feel that way. One day, if according to God's will, you will find a guy that loves you for exactly who you are...and he is going to respect that you chose to be modest. God loves you....and that's the ONLY approval that you will ever need.

Lending A Helping Hand

So, at the start of every new school year at UNC, we have this thing known as "Fall Fest." It's this super big event where they close down a couple streets on campus, and every possible club or organization you could imagine attempts to recruit new members. All of the students at UNC line up down these streets, and we're all packed like sardines, just moving in which ever way the traffic flows. 

Now, members of clubs and organizations do A LOT to try to get you involved with whatever it is that they are advertising. The members volunteers their time. They'll have conversations with you. They'll give you free food. They'll help you sign up. They'll give you free souvenirs that advertise their organization. The list goes on and on.

A couple of weeks ago, a couple friends and I decided to make our way down the streets of Fall Fest for the start of our junior year. Just as I expected: it was insane! Thousands of people were on the streets, and people were walking around with their signs and advocating like crazy! I started walking down this one street that had many poster boards and such set up on tables. Most of their advertisements were for Pre-Health clubs: aimed at all of those UNC students who typically wish to pursue going into some sort of health-related field. As I walked by, I could hear the random, casual conversations that advocates were having with potential-members.

 As I passed by this one table, I recognized one of the members as a guy that I had had a chemistry class with last semester: he was pre-med. I walked by, and I heard him talking to a girl about joining this volunteer-related club. Apparently, the organization allowed for pre-med students to go to different foreign countries to volunteer and give aid to individuals in need. It sounded like a great organization! But, he then followed up by saying something that bothered me greatly: "Yeah, you should join! It looks great on applications for medical school!"

How sad of a world is it that we live in today? It doesn't take an expert to tell you that we live in a very crooked, selfish generation. The sad thing about most of the decisions we make today, is that we make them for our own selfish benefits. We obtain prestigious degrees so that WE can live the comfortable lifestyle that we would like. We sometimes go to church and read our Bibles so that WE can feel like we did our "Christian-ly" duties. We diet and exercise so that WE can feel good about ourselves and look "good" in the eyes of society. And, what I think is the saddest of them all: sometimes we volunteer our time and resources to those in need, only to feel good about ourselves or for OUR own selfish benefits.

What if we changed our attitudes a little bit? What if we allowed Christ to truly renew our minds?

Romans 12:2 says: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing our your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

God selflessly sent His one and only Son to die for each and every one of us. Whenever I start to think about what this truly means, I cannot help but to get excited that there is somebody that loves me THAT MUCH! After we accept Christ into our lives, we should allow this good news to consume our lives and everything that we do!...starting with our attitudes, especially towards others!

So let's get the education or degree in which God calls us to obtain because we want to honor and please Him with the gifts that He's blessed us with. Let's be in His Word and meet in His house because we want to fuel ourselves with the Holy Spirit and learn more about Him. Let's take care of our bodies because we know they are of the Kingdom of God, and we wish to please Him. And, last but not least, let's lend a helping hand to those in need because God has called us to do so and because He has called us to be a light to this world!

Our society demands you to work for yourself: this has become the way that it's supposed to be. However, as Christians, we all have a destination that's beyond this world that we live in. 

So, just like the famous Christian song by the band Fee says, I challenges us all to allow God to: "Take my life and let it be all for You and for Your glory; take my life and let it be Yours."

Making Time For God

Okay!...so one thing that God has really been working on my heart with lately is spending time with Him. Ever since I started college two years ago, I have constantly struggled with setting time aside to get in God's Word and spend time in prayer with Him. Of course, my excuse is about as lame as everyone else's is: Life just gets so busy! Between classes, work, homework, studying, and everything in between...it's hard to set aside time to spend alone with God!

Disclaimer: I KNOW how ridiculous that sounds. I think that actually seeing the words should help us to see how ridiculous it actually is that we sometimes do not "make time" to spend with God.

But anyways...

The Bible makes it very clear that we are to be constantly seeking God and His Word. An example from Scripture comes from Romans 10:17, which says: "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ."

Now, my devotional thought for today isn't just to state the obvious in that we need to be constantly seeking God's Truth. Rather, I would like us to take a step back from this notion that we need to "make time for God."

If we claim to be Christians, then we should not be "making time for God." Our salvation through Christ Jesus is something that should be present in every aspect of our life.: In our attitudes. In the way that we dress. In the way that we talk to people. In the way that we carry ourselves. In the way that we behave. In the things in which we invest our time into. ...the list goes on and on.

If we are serious about our faith and about what all God has blessed us with, our time with God would be constant throughout our lives! We would desire to want to be in His Word. We would desire to want to have conversations with Him on a day-to-day basis. We would want our entire lifestyle to be devoted to a life made up of time spent and dedicated to Him.

Let's not "make time"....let's give all of our time over to Him.

You Know What Will Help??

Okay! So, we all have our pet peeves. You know...the things that just really, really get on your nerves?? Well, I have quite a few on that list, but today I want to discuss the one that could very well be #1: complaining! 

This pet peeve is actually funny because....we all do it! (Spoiler Alert!: Even me!!). What makes this something that bothers me so much is quite easy to explain: BECAUSE COMPLAINING DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO BETTER YOUR SITUATION!! 

This summer at camp, one of my favorite things to say whenever somebody would complain about something was: "Do you know what would help?" And whenever they continued on and asked me what would help, I would always reply, "If you complain about it just a little bit more." (And by the end of the summer, people would return the favor by saying the same thing to me whenever I was caught up in the pointless act of complaining!)

What's even more ridiculous than the actual complaining itself is what we are normally complaining about. We complain about feeling tired or not feeling well. We complain about our clothes. We complain about food. We complain about how far we have to walk to class. We complain about how early we have to get up. We complain about what other people are doing. We complain about our jobs. We complain about how hard a class is. 

By the time we really evaluate what all we have ever complained about, it becomes pretty blatantly obvious that sometimes it might be easier to think about what we don't complain about!

Now, from my very first blog, I had a post that was very similar to this one, in which I used the camp's theme Bible verse for reference. Well, I believe that it is just as useful with today's entry as it was then:

Philippians 2:14-15 says: "Do everything without grumbling or complaining, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God, faultless in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky."

As I sit in my ethics class that I have to take this semester, we find ourselves constantly talking about what is right, what is wrong, what is ethical, and what we can do to make our society a better place overall. As I sit in the classroom with 49 kids probably smarter than I am and a professor that has every degree one can obtain, I constantly just find myself thinking, "Our society needs Jesus! If we would all just realize this, this country would be in a much better state than it is right now!!!" 

While this scenario does carry some humor, it is nonetheless very true. Our world is in desperate need of hope that can only be found through our Savior. The world needs to hear His name, and we are the ones that need to let them hear it!

So, next time you start to complain or find yourself in an unfavorable situation, think about the fact that you have a faith that has saved you. You have a God that loves you more than anyone on earth will ever be able to. And you have a hope that the world needs to know about way more than they need to hear your complaints!  

What Goes In, Must Come Out!

Okay!...so this is one of my favorite stories!...mainly because I find it to be EXTREMELY relevant to our society today. And, to me, what makes it so cool is that the story really isn't that cool. (I know...that contradicts what I just said!) But, what I mean by that, is that it's just something really simple (that nobody else probably remembers), yet it had a cool impact on my life.

So, one summer back in high school, my youth group was at South Mountain Baptist Camp. Now, during the afternoon time, people are free to do whatever they want until it is time to go to supper. So one day my youth minister asked a group of us if any of us had an iPod that he could borrow so that he could listen to some music during his free time. I ALMOST raised my hand and said, "Sure!" I mean, I had an iPod with me, that was fully charged and ready to go and everything! But- I didn't say anything. Why? Because in that split second after he asked us, I realized: There is some songs on my iPod that I would NOT want my youth minister to know that I had. This situation, in return, allowed me to really think.

In the above story, from a Christian standpoint, there are two big problems:
1) The obvious problem: I should not be listening or exposing myself to things that are not of God!
and
2) I should have been more concerned with what God would think of the music rather than what my youth minister would think about my music.

Now, I can try to make myself feel a little better by thinking more along the mindset of: "Well...I only had a few bad songs...but everything else was just good Christian or country music." But, to say this to myself, would be me pretty much saying, "I give most of myself to Christ when it comes to the music that I listen to." So, my response to the first problem would be this: God wants ALL of us....not just part of us. He doesn't just want us on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. He doesn't just want us when we're at Christian camps or retreats. He doesn't just want us when we're around our Christian friends. He wants us to die to ourselves everyday and live a life reflecting of Christ.

Galations 2:20 says: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

If we want to live sold-out lives for Christ, we have to allow our own flesh to die upon a daily basis. Do the lives that we live in the body truly reflect lives living by faith in the Son of God?


In Matthew 15, Jesus is sharing a parable. I think that the heart of the parable is best explained in verses 17 and 18, when He says: "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out the body? But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them." 

Now, in the society that we live in today, it is very hard to avoid "bad" stuff altogether. With television, music, movies, and everything in between, ungodly things that expose the things of this world are found on every corner! However, as Christians, we should strive to censor ourselves and allow the things of Christ to be what we expose ourselves to each and every day. Now, in case you haven't realized, that is quite a challenge!!

I don't always expose myself to music or television that is pure to my Christian faith....I actually fall short to that constantly. But, I would like to remind us all that sin and temptation normally start with one thing: a thought. And these thoughts normally originate from the things of this world that we expose ourselves to.

So, my challenge to us all, is to cling to Christ in all that we watch or hear...because doing so is the life we are called to live, as well as the life that desires clean hands and a pure heart.

 

Just Keep Going!

Well, as I've recently said, it's the start of a new school year. And, if you're like me, that normally comes with one super awesome thing: MOTIVATION! At the start of a new school year, I set goals for myself....and I make the promise that I'm going to follow through! These goals normally include how well I'm going to do in my classes, how diligently I'm going to be reading my Bible, and last (and probably least): exercising!

That's right!...it's the beginning of the school year and my walking shoes from camp have now become my running shoes! And, so far three days in, I've done awesome! (haha). However, as many of you can probably relate, that motivation is something extremely hard to hold on to!

Whenever I start running and exercising after a hiatus from it, I can always tell that God has a bit of a sense of humor. I'll be running (or some may call it slow jogging), super pumped while listening to TobyMac, and then all of the sudden, it'll happen: a parent pushing a stroller will pass me!! I'm not even joking, people! It's as though these parents are strategically waiting for me to run by so that they can laugh as they take their body (that's twice as old as mine) and push their kids around at a speed that is faster than what I am going. And let me tell you, nothing can get one more discouraged than to be reminded of how out of shape you are by a parent pushing around a 2-year-old!

Now, as you can imagine, this scenario is always super discouraging to me. I'm already sweating out of every pore of my body and my heart rate is up because it's in shock from my lack of athletics for the past couple of months....but then I have to look at the evidence around me that tells me that I am not doing as great as I think I am.

Well, when I got back this morning, I knew God was tugging on my heart to seek Him in this situation. So, what does Scripture say about motivation?

1 Corinthians 15:58 says: Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 

Whether you are studying for an exam that's coming up, working diligently for the job that you're currently at, or trying to get back into shape, I challenge you to two things: (1) don't give up and (2) do whatever you're doing for the Lord!

If we desire to seek God's best for our lives, we have to stay motivated to live the life He has called us to live! So, no matter what you're doing or how small the task at hand may seem, keep your eyes on the Lord....because when I think about how much the Lord has done for me, there's no greater motivation than to give my all for Him!

He's Always By My Side

Well, tomorrow marks the big day for me, the day that I haven't necessarily been looking forward to all summer: the first day of classes! Normally, I am one of those strange people that loves and enjoys school. However, tomorrow is going to be the start of the hardest semester that I have ever had to face. My classes aren't the easiest, and I've even looked at my schedule over and over again, wondering how on earth I am going to be able to get through all of these difficult courses!

But, like many times in life, the second that I started to waiver and show fear, God got a hold of me. As I was reading through my Bible study for today, the last "task" that I had to complete was to read through Psalm 27, and allow that to be my prayer for the day.

Psalm 27: 1-3 says: "The Lord is my light and my salvation- whom should I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh, my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell. Though an army deploy against me, my heart is not afraid; though war break out against me, still I am confident."

Pretty amazing, huh? Out of all scripture that my Bible study could have used today, it happened to be on fear and having confidence in the Lord! Our God is such an awesome God! I would encourage you to read that whole chapter (It's only 14 verses).

When we oftentimes think of "fears" in our lives, many of us immediately think about things such as spiders, snakes, heights, etc. However, if you're like me, the things that sometimes scare me the most are the things that I cannot avoid, and that I know that I must face. Change that comes with time scares me. Growing up scares me. Breaking out of my comfort zone scares me. And yes, difficult classes that I have to take scare me, too!

As Christians, we face the same days that all others face: we have to get up each and every day and face all that the world is going to throw at us. But- the wonderful thing is that we have the hope and peace that is beyond this world. We have the security of knowing that we have a Savior that already overcame this world and all that it has; so, when we look at it from that perspective, whom should we really fear??

Open Up!

I got a new cell phone cover for my phone last week. My old case had been beaten up so much because of the number of times that I've dropped my phone, basically because of my constant use of it. After getting this new case for my phone, I started to think about how much most of us actually use our cell phones. I think that this use can best be summed up in this excerpt that I had heard sometime while I was in high school:

**I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phones?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we flipped through it several times a day?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it as we traveled?

What if we used it in case of an emergency?

What if we upgraded it to get the latest version?

This is something to make you go...hmmm...where is my Bible? 

Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don't ever have to 

worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. **

Pretty neat to think about, huh? Or, if we are being honest with ourselves, that can actually be hard to hear if we took it to heart.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says: "All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."  

I know our lives can get insanely hectic from the demands that come from everyday life: job, school, relationships, friendships, etc. But, no matter how busy our lives may get, the Word of God is the one and only source that never fails to answer....It's just up to us to open up and listen to what God has to say.

Never Give Up!

Whenever I arrived at UNC two years ago, I was in for a rude awakening. I was fresh out of a high school where if I studied hard, I got great grade. As I sat at my freshman orientation in the summer of 2011, a man stood before us and said, "You were valedictorian or in the top 10% of your class? Good for you....so was everyone else here." Ouch.

I carried over the same study habits to college as I had in high school. I still remember the first exam I ever took. It was for my Biology 101 class, and I had studied hours for the exam. A few hours after I took the exam, I checked online to see my grade: it was a 67. I remember being upset, crying my eyes out, and questioning how I was going to make it through four years at UNC if I couldn't even get a good grade in an introductory course!

Galations 6:9 says: "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

Whenever I did not receive the grade that I desired on that first exam, I could have let that defeat me. In fact...I almost did! I remember calling my sister crying and telling her I didn't know if I was going to be able to make it at UNC! However, God grabbed a hold of me and blessed me with the attitude and gifts of perseverance and optimism. Following this, I studied as hard as I always do in school; and by the grace of God, I did well in the class!

Now, I don't always receive as high of grades as I would want while at school; but, I can say that I do my best. And whenever we do our best, all we can do is leave the results up to Him. So, as long as you are obedient towards what God is asking of you, you can find peace in your perseverance....because our God is the God of faithfulness.

while you're waiting...

This week, I had to serve on jury duty. I know what you're thinking: every great story starts off with someone saying that they had jury duty! Okay, so not really!...but, I actually had a wonderful experience while serving on jury duty! The case that I was assigned was a criminal case, and I found the overall experience to be extremely interesting, entertaining, and educational.

As enjoyable as my experience was, there is one thing you should know about jury duty (if you have not yet ever been selected for jury duty): there is a BUNCH of waiting! In my experience, there was waiting in the courtroom so that the lawyers could have their arguments. On the first day, you wait to hear your name called. You wait to hear for instructions. You wait to be able to enter the courtroom. ....it really never ends!

While waiting is probably one of the top hated things in America, something really cool happened while I was waiting to enter the courtroom this morning. I, along with the 11 other jury members, sat in the jury lounge and was waiting to be summoned into the room. They were taking forever in the courtroom!...They told us to be there at 9:30, but we actually did not enter into the room until around 10:45! While I was waiting, an older gentleman on the jury came and sat next to me. We started to have small talk about a number of different topics....and then, suddenly, it happened! A door became open in the conversation where I could bring up my faith! I seized the opportunity, and eventually got to know that he was a brother in Christ! Shortly following this encounter, he went to the bathroom, so I opened up my devotion book to do today's devotion. Not even a minute later, another woman on the jury then came and sat next to me and asked me if I was reading for school. Another awesome opportunity! I then told her that I wasn't reading for school...and then I got to discuss my faith with her as well!

Following both of these encounters, I got to think about how amazing it was that God allowed for such events to take place. What was especially cool about it was that the event didn't take place within the walls of a church or Christian camp, in a place I planned to have a serious discussion in, or even during a time I would have expected. These awesome events took place while I was just sitting and waiting around for other events to occur!

In our society today, we have all grown to be at a constant pressure to not want to wait. We don't want to wait for Mr. or Mrs. Right...we want them now. We don't want to wait to get that job we've been longing to have...we want it now. We don't want to wait for this difficult semester of school to be over with....we want it to be over now.

The funny thing about waiting is that we always try to make the waiting disappear, without having to contribute much to it. For example: if we are ever in a waiting room, we normally grab a magazine or browse through our cell phones just so that the time will pass with greater ease.

Some people look at waiting as a burden: a period of time that they much rather be doing other things with their life. However, the way I see it, there is no greater time to serve the Lord than while waiting! Instead of putting all of our focus, time, and energy into what we are actually waiting on, why not take that precious time and use it for the uplifting of His kingdom??

1 Corinthians 10:31 says: "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

Whatever you do. I'm pretty sure that "whatever you do" includes all that you do while waiting as well! So next time you find yourself short on patience while waiting, think of ways that you could glorify or serve Him instead.

For extra encouragement during your time of waiting, here's the link to a song that I find to be absolutely amazing!:
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-M7oGrOa2I