The Power of Knowledge

We study our memory verses and read our Bible every day. 
But do we really know and apply what we're learning?
 Do we really care enough to get the whole picture? I know I'm guilty of just reading, never really paying attention to the story or how God's trying to speak to me. ...Always just reading it word after word, 5-10 minutes a day. 

But God deserves more than that. He deserves our everything, in our worship, in our study and in our serving. (The Bible actually says to "study to show ourselves approved unto God, 2 Timothy 2:15) I know, we're only human and only God is perfect but why not at least try to give Him what He deserves? We can try to give him our all, to become disciples and to lay ourselves down.

 Revelation 4:11 says:

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."

Our Complaints Are Causing Us To Complain

Do we as Christians hold ourselves accountable when it comes to complaining? I mean we have more than most people. Why would we complain about earning less than our peers. What does it matter?

In Luke 18, a certain ruler asked Jesus what it takes to get into heaven. Jesus didn't tell him that he needed to say a tiny prayer, or look your best for church every week.This is what he said:

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

(NIV Mark 10:21, Matthew 19:21, Luke 18:22)

 Yeah, I know that's no American Dream. But who wants that? The average American owes over $200,000 in debt! Did you get that? $200,000! Since when is owing a bank $200,000 a dream? Well it's no dream of mine. 

And the more we complain, the less content we are with what we have, which causes us to buy more stuff we can't afford to pay for, which causes us to complain even more about how little we have.

Let's stop complaining and start being thankful for what we're already blessed with.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus

(1 Thessalonians 5:18)

For the love of God, put yo' Spiritual Clothes on!

 We all know how stressful the first day of school is. Whether you're in private, public or homeschool. Waking up early, staying focused, fighting off the tormentor and trying to get good grades is hard. But we always seem to survive. Physically, at least.

Every year things change. Rules, teachers (For real: mine lost thirty pounds and has bangs. (( I'm most definitely getting an A)), classes, and all in all ,we change. We grow up. And old temptations fade while we face new, bigger ones.

But as we have a better chance. We have an armor that protects us from everything around us.

1. The Belt of Truth: Helps us to discern the fine line between the truth and the lies.
2. The Breastplate of Righteousness: Helps us to be obedient even when it's nearly impossible.
3. The Gospel of Peace: Helps us to be ready for trials and tests at all times.
4. The Shield of Faith: Helps us to have faith in the hard times.
5. Helmet of Salvation: Protects us from the death of sin.
6. The Sword of the Spirit: Helps us fight off the enemy with the Word of God.

So as we go through school this year, let's remember to arm ourselves everyday. Everyday we fight a spiritual battle. When we don't fight, we lose.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground...

Ephesians 6:13

Seek Me

Last Wednesday I took a friend to church with me.

 He is a Christian, but he doesn't have a home-church. 

He loved the service and the worship. He made plenty of new friends.

We were in the car on the way home and he told me, 

"Your church is like my old church. At your church, they play the same music and that kinda stuff 

but it feels different, it feels so much better..."

(Now, I know that church isn't about what it feels like, but the conversation went deeper, about conviction and responding to God's voice...)

After hearing my friend talk about the differences, I was flabbergasted at what I said next. It didn't feel like it came out of my mouth. It wasn't anything that I would normally say. It had to have been The Holy Spirit speaking through me. 

"The difference between good and not-so-good churches is not about about the music or the message or the translation of the Bible they read. It's about the anointing and the acceptance and the desire of The Holy Spirit."

It's an important reminder, not just for a kid who isn't used to being in church, but for us, too. 

  Church can't be good because the music is good. 

It can't be good because the speaker or preacher is "on point." 

It's not good because it's entertaining or dramatic or "turnt up."

Church is good because the Holy Spirit is there waiting on us. He has the power to invade our hearts and make sinners want to repent and turn their lives around.  He has the power to raise the dead to life, not just physically but also our dead and broken hearts. He has the power to break strongholds and revive broken dreams.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 14:26

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 145:18 

So... There's this Guy.

So... there's this guy in my life. 

He is the perfect man for me. I don't need anybody else. He is loyal, courageous, generous, loving, strong, tall, smart and he loves food just as much as I do. We are so alike, I thank God every day that He put him into my life! We love the same music, the same TV shows and the same movies. When we go out to eat I always say, "I want what he got." We're perfect for each other!

Here's the shocker:  He's in love with another woman...  But I'm okay with that, because he's not my boyfriend, or my fiancé, and no he's not my husband, either. He's my daddy! I just wanna' say "Thank you for putting up with me!"

 Happy Father's Day! I love you, Daddy!

What do you Expect?

Insecure. Shy. Vulnerable. Emotional. Disrespectful.  Rude.  Inconsiderate. Ignorant. Careless. Rebellious. These are all names used to describe teenage girls. My Generation.  Me.   It reminds me of a quote by Sir Thomas More. 

“For if you suffer your people to be ill-educated, and their manners to be corrupted from their infancy, and then punish them for those crimes to which their first education disposed them, what else is to be concluded from this, but that you first make thieves and then punish them.”

Hmm isn’t that interesting? How much of a difference could we make if we lived accordingly to Proverbs 18:21? The power of life and death is in the tongue. Our parents tell us that we can change the world but in our heads we say “Yea right! We’re just insecure, shy, emotional (and the list goes on) children. The only world changers we know are the homosexual basketball players being praised for coming out of the closet or famous women walking around dressed like prostitutes with all the men they could ever ask for”. 

Well I’ll step down from my soap-box and finish this shin-dig, but first I’ll tell you about myself. My name is Bre Elise, I love kids, and Jesus, and reading. The gym is one of my best friends, I like food and coffee, I love my dog and I know how to cook, clean and change diapers. Oh yeah, one more thing, I’m fifteen years-old.

Okay, so the point of this whole thing is that  we don’t have to be what everybody expects us to be. We can be bold without being disrespectful and we can be vulnerable without being crushed, We don’t HAVE to be emotional, careless Kylee Jenner or Kim Kardashian wanna-bes. Let’s try something, this week, not this year or this month. This week. Let’s not try to be better than anybody else but instead try to be a better person than you were yesterday. Not too hard. Eh? 

So, what do you expect from me?  Do you expect me to be insecure? Shy? Vulnerable? Emotional? Disrespectful?  Rude?  Inconsiderate? Ignorant? Careless? Rebellious?  If you do, you don't think very much of me.  I expect more.  I expect myself to "put off" those expectations and rise to the expectations of people who genuinely love me and a God who truly knows my worth. 

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24

Let‘s do this everyday, together. Just put off our old self and be renewed.