Untitled

[annabean14]

Me and my girl in the city #bffaeaeae#nyc#perfect#coincidence

[soleil-de-matin]

[forthebrave]

Women of the World

Photos by Steve McCurry

[annabean14]

What I found in the prayer book I haven't opened since my confirmation. Whether I knew it or not He was with me then and has been the whole time #saved#thankful#eveningprayer

[mikedonehey]

"Then God said, "Let us make man in our image…"

"Let us?"

God is…plural?

Well…yes.

This is what the church holds to be true. Mystery though it may be, the God we worship is a trinity; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Now, mystery must be welcomed here as analogies fail. As Tozer...

[sandandglass]

[sarahminerella]

I can not feel Jesus more. I always feel alone. And always think I'm not loved by the people I love. What should I do? I am a Christian since I was born, I still truly believe in Jesus. I just do not understand why these feelings

The Bible reveals God is everywhere at all times, so you know, with your intellect, that God is always with you. Sometimes you’re especially aware of his presence—sometimes your not. God has promised that as we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us and we will experience His presence in ever increasing measures. However, though God could instantly give you feelings of his presence, in the long run it wouldn’t help. Your faith must be in the bedrock of the Word of God, not the shifting sands of feelings. Emotions fluctuate wildly. God’s word is solid, and the only way anyone can be a solid Christian is to ignore feelings and hold on to that word. If you want to feel moved then seek after Him like you never have before. Go into a quiet place to read your Bible, pray, and worship on a daily basis, maybe even longer then you usually do. 

If you take seriously that the Creator is here right now, that He is your father — the best father you can ever have and more — who wishes to give you everything that you need for your spiritual growth, how should you feel? Safe? Loved? Harmonious? Peaceful? Protected? Confident?

Now think about how you actually feel when thinking about the existence of the Creator. Sit back for a moment, relax and think about your Creator being right here, right now. You may be wondering, what am I supposed to see when I think about God? One answer that could quickly come to mind is “nothing.” On one hand, it is impossible to see the Creator, and on the other hand, everything that exists is a manifestation of Him. What we can focus on, however, is the fact of His presence here and now.

During your prayer time try following something along this guideline…

1. GRATITUDE. Thank God for who he is and what he has done in your life.

2. Prayer for insight. James 1:5 encourages us to ask for wisdom when we need it.

3. Self-examination. One cannot enter into God’s presence without noticing the blemishes and the tarnishes. Ask the Spirit of God to cleanse you and transform you.

4. Confession. Once you have gained an awareness of how you have fallen short of God’s standards, confess your sins to God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

5. Resolution. This is the opportunity to act on what you have learned about God and yourself. Do not leave your time with God without making resolutions and acting on them. Your goal for these times with God is your personal transformation because you are called to imitate Christ

Like I said before, in addition to praying, read your Bible and worship. If you want to be moved by God then you have to let go of yourself completely. But remember, don’t feel discouraged if there are times where you can’t constantly feel God’s presence, if it was that easy then faith wouldn’t be necessary.

When I wake up in the morning, as a general rule, my temperature is 98.6. I expect this. I feel more or less entitled to it. If it’s not the case, I figure something is going wrong, and I want it fixed. What about my spiritual temperature? Should I expect it to be as well-regulated? After all, the apostle Paul said, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” If I’m lacking, did I mess up? On the other hand, the same Paul said, “I face daily the pressure” of concern for all the churches. “Who is weak, and I do not feel weak?” How do we reconcile fervor and weakness? 

The psalmist says that the godly person is “like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in season, whose leaf does not wither, who consistently prospers.” But a few psalms later we hear: “My bones are in agony. My soul is in anguish. How long, O Lord, how long? … I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears” (Ps. 6). Every Christian wants a “normal” reading on their spiritual thermometer. We all want to feel spiritually vigorous, and we hurt when we don’t. 

Even Mother Teresa wrote letters (intended only for her spiritual directors) on the torment of her soul. After her death, the process of canonization made these public. They were published to much astonishment. So how are we to understand her story? In the midst of what seems like the perfection of Christian service, how could God abandon her to such spiritual desolation?

For starters, it should warn us about easy formulas. One old saying goes, “If you don’t feel close to God anymore—guess who moved.” But I wouldn’t want to have asked that of Mother Teresa. She never overcame her pain over God’s silence. In a strange way, it became a part of her. In the midst of this struggle, a wise spiritual counselor told her three things she needed to hear. First, that there was no human remedy for this darkness. (So she could not control it.) Second, that “feeling” the presence of Jesus was not the only or even the primary evidence of his presence. (Jesus himself said that by their fruit—not their feelings—you shall know his true followers.) In fact, the very craving for God was a “sure sign” that God was present—though in a hidden way—in her life. Third, that the pain she was going through could be redemptive. That Jesus himself had to experience the agony of the Absence of God: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” His suffering redeemed us. Like him, Mother Teresa could suffer redemptively by clinging to God in the midst of darkness.

Paul calls the Holy Spirit “the Spirit of Life.” From Genesis the Spirit is the one who animates and energizes human beings. So in the times when I am most energized to do ministry: when I am motivated to pray, when sermons come easily and preaching is a joy, when sin looks bad and my “360 evaluations” look good—then I feel spiritually vital.  But this is not the ultimate test. I’m learning to distinguish spiritual vitality from simply being in a good mood. The danger for most of us is that we desire a particular state of being (feeling good) more than we desire God.

True spiritual vitality, then, is not primarily my subjective experience. It’s not about “feeling spiritual.” It is being made alive by the Spirit. And only God can judge the extent to which that is actually happening from one moment to the next: “The wind blows wherever it will,” said Jesus. “So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” According to one biographer, Mother Teresa “lived for most of her adult life in utter darkness and dryness and abandonment by her divine Love.” Her teaching of “the little way” has helped millions of Christians make sense of the dryness. Her “little way” is this: love. This is more important than “spiritual vitality.” Love. No matter what darkness you find yourself in, choose as your guidepost a love for whoever God has cross your path. You cannot see God, Theresa reasoned. But you can see your neighbor: that difficult, tedious, cranky person who grates on the only nerve you have left. Love that one.

On more than one occasion, Old Testament King David felt abandoned by God. But he knew that despite his feelings, he was never out of God’s sight: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? … If I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you” (Psalm 139:7, 9-12). David reassures us that we are not alone. God is relentlessly faithful. So how do we convince our frightened hearts when life crumbles around us and God becomes silent? We enter into the silence with him.

The spiritual opportunity: SOLITUDE. You have to feel totally accepted and comfortable with someone to sit with a person in silence. It can be intimidating. Silence shifts the emphasis of a relationship away from words and transactions to intimacy where no words are necessary. Are you that comfortable with God? Would you like to be? When all the racket of life stops and God’s presence fills every molecule of space around us, our hearts grow calm and strong. Fear seems pointless. Circumstances lose their power over us. The silence becomes an opportunity to fall in love with the person of Christ, rather than the things he says or does for us.

There’s not much trust required if someone stands beside us coaching us every inch of the way. It’s like a parent running alongside a child who’s learning to ride a bicycle. We want to know the parent is there because we have no confidence we can ride the bike alone. But we’d look pretty silly if we were 40 and mom or dad were still running alongside our bike. At some point in our journey with him, God may decide to take his hand off the bike, so to speak, to see if we remember what we’ve learned. It’s preparation for the road ahead, which may be bumpy or difficult. It’s God taking us to the next level, building our commitment and perseverance. It’s also a way to reveal those things we’re trusting in more than him.

The spiritual opportunity: SURRENDER. Jesus understood this principle. The most significant events in his life took place in the dark when all he saw was God’s back. Yet his instructions to his disciples were unwavering: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me” (John 14:1). Every day God calls us to keep trusting—to get out of bed and spend another 24 hours washing dishes, doing laundry, loving our family, believing He has everything under control—even when He seems silent. Ever try to watch a seed grow? The problem is, you can’t. It remains hidden under the dark garden soil until the seedling’s ready to break the surface and appear. Sometimes things buried in us need to surface, but they’ll only do so after we sit still long enough to let them break through. Perhaps they’re deep issues that have undermined our lives for years. Silence forces them to emerge.

The spiritual opportunity: SCRIPTURE MEMORIZATION. When I experienced this, God’s silence and my situation drove me deeper into his Word to search for what I could expect of God in circumstances such as my own. In spiritual desperation, I had to break a sweat and dig. I selected comforting promises, recorded them on 3x5-inch cards, and taped them everywhere—on my bathroom mirror, on my dashboard, over the kitchen sink. And I prayed the promises back to God: “I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread” (Psalm 37:25); and “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. … Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).

When I thought nothing was happening, God, in fact, had me in training. You pay more attention when you’re lost in a wilderness. I’d only been interested in quick fixes. But God was building my character and making me more effective for the kingdom. He can do the same for you.

The spiritual opportunity: AUTHENTICITY AND COMMUNITY. 

When God falls silent, how long will the silence last? It takes as long as it takes—and it will seem dark and lonely the whole time. But in the same way dawn always follows night, so, too, your darkness will end.

For me, the silence ended as unexpectedly as it began. While waiting to hear from God, I noticed my prayers became less about getting answers than about connecting with God himself. I remember when I first realized I was receiving a fresh word from God—the first word I’d heard in a long time. One day as I was journaling, I felt the Holy Spirit gently ask whether scaring myself about all the “what ifs” had done any good other than to scare me. He reminded me I’ll have everything I need to live the life He’s called me to live. If a need isn’t met, then maybe it wasn’t a real need, or something I wasn’t supposed to be doing in the first place.

The message was a precious sign God had been at work—shaping me even when he seemed far away. And so the two of us began again the daily conversations that would see me into the future he had planned for me. If you let God’s silence do its work, you will come out the other side knowing that you’re not alone, that God longs for deeper intimacy with you, that he’s worth trusting for the journey, and that you’re stronger than ever.

Blessings<3

-Sarah

[sarahminerella]

I cut again last night after not doing it for months. I am so ashamed right now. I really don't get what plans God would ever have for me.

Cutting may give you temporary relief, or maybe it helps you deal with your past… but you already know it isn’t a healthy relief, and that you need to break away from it. There are also many things that can trigger self-harm.

Whatever your circumstances, prepare yourself, because changing your mind, body and spirit won’t be an easy task. If this temptation does not go away, then the first take would be to work on talking it out, so you don’t have to act it out. Of course, this means talking with your pastor and a counselor. Another step to help will be to change your mode of thinking. If you struggle with cutting or self-injury, embracing these Scriptures below on a daily basis can help you begin to change your mind, body and spirit. 

Feeling: I deserve punishment.

Truth: When Jesus allowed Himself to be beaten, mocked and nailed to a cross to die, he paid the price for any wrongs. He bled (so that I don’t have to) and gave me grace, love and forgiveness (1 Peter 2:24). I have been made righteous because of a faith in Jesus, and he has freely given me His grace in spite of my sin (Romans 3:21-26).

Feeling: God has abandoned me.

Truth: Because God loves me, He promises to never leave me or forsake me. His love for me is everlasting; it will never stop, disappear or grow cold. Nothing can separate me from His love—not even myself. He won’t ever leave me but will provide mercy and grace when I am in need (Hebrews 13:5, Jeremiah 31:3, Romans 8:35-39 and Hebrews 4:16).

Feeling: Things are never going to get better.

Truth: God promises me of a future and a hope. I can’t see it right now, and I don’t know how He is working it out. Still, I choose to trust Him, and while He is working out my problems, I will wait on Him (Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 27:14).

Feeling: I’ll never be able to change.

Truth: When I came to Christ, He made me a new creation. It will take time to renew my mind, body and spirit, but He has promised to change me, no matter how I feel (John 15:15, 2 Corinthians 5:7, Colossians 2:7, Philippians 1:6).

Feeling: No one could love me.

Truth: When Jesus died on the cross, He demonstrated the ultimate act of love for me. He did this because I am chosen and dearly loved (Romans 5:6-11, Colossians 3:12).

Feeling: I’m unacceptable.

Truth: Because God created me, and Christ died for me, I am acceptable to Him; before the world was created, He made the choice to adopt me as His own (Ephesians 2:13, I Peter 2:9, Ephesians 1:5).

Feeling: I feel like God won’t forgive me.

Truth: Despite how I see myself, God sees me as blameless and holy because of what Christ did on the cross. It’s hard to imagine, but God has completely forgiven me. When I confess anything that I have done wrong, He is more than willing to forgive and cleanse me from sin, no matter how many mistakes I make (Colossians 1:22, Colossians 1:13-14, 1 John 1:9). Remember, change takes time, but if you accept the truth of what God says, and seek help, you will discover better coping and life skills.

God has a plan for life even though it’s sometimes difficult to determine His will in certain situations. Times when you don’t find a clear direction can be very confusing and frustrating. God gave Moses the burning bush, He showed his will to Gideon with the fleece, and He spoke to Saul with thunder and lightening. When he does this for us, it’s easy to understand God’s guidance. But he seldom does it this way. So to truly find God’s will for our life we often must step out in faith. This can be scary, but we need to realize God is there beside us and he will not allow us to stray as long as we trust in him.

Proverbs 3:6 promises us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Psalm 37:23 tells us, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord….” And Isaiah 30:21 informs us, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.” God’s word plainly is saying that God will help us find his direction, but how does he do it?

I believe God reveals his will to us in stages. Initially, we may get a feeling of direction from God from different sources:

1. Prayer. In order for God to speak to us, we need to be in his presence listening for his voice. As we spend time in prayer, we may sense God’s leading in our lives.

2. His word. God speaks to us through his written word as we study and meditate upon his holy scripture.

3. Circumstances. Many times God will cause doors to open, or others to close. If we are walking in obedience to him, we have to assume that events in our life are ordered by God. They don’t just happen by chance. Maybe the reason why a door has opened up to us is that God wants us to go through it!

4. Our heart. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will minister to our spirit and reveal God’s plan for us. We will have an assurance deep in our heart. We will feel God’s voice guiding us.

5. Others. God can use other believers to bring us his direction. Sometimes we will be singing a song in church, or we will be reading a Christian book, or hear the Pastor’s message, or one of our friends will say something that will show us God’s will. God can reveal his direction to us through any of these five ways. But even when he does, it’s sometimes difficult to discern that what we sense or feel is truly God’s plan for our lives. Jesus said in Matthew 18:16, “…by the word of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Jesus is here quoting Deuteronomy 19:15, “…by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.” I believe this is a good principle to follow in trying to figure out God’s plan for you. Initially, you get the direction from one of the five ways mentioned above, but now God will confirm his plan to you in the mouth of two or three witnesses: in other words: one or two more things will confirm God’s direction for you. When you see this confirmation, then you will know it’s time to step out in faith. There have been times in my life when I simply had to take that first step of faith, and when I did, God confirmed his plan for me as I went. You may sense God asking you to do this, but remember, God understands our human weakness. If we sincerely seek him and are willing to obey his word, he will usually affirm his will for us in other ways.

He confirms his direction for us the same way he revealed it to us in the first place — through one of these five ways:

1. Prayer. We need to seek God in prayer. Luke 11:9-10 promises, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” If we truly seek God’s will, we will find it.

2. His word. Sometimes while we’re struggling for God’s guidance, a scripture that we are reading will seem to pop out at us confirming which way God wants us to go. Psalm 119:105 tells us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Allow God’s word to illumine your pathway.

3. Circumstances. Events will sometimes indicate God’s direction for us. Paul wrote about such a circumstance in his life in 2 Corinthians 2:12, “Furthermore, when I came to Troas to preach Christ’s gospel, and a door was opened to me by the Lord.” As you are seeking God’s direction, events may establish what you have already felt God telling you to do.

4. Our heart. God will sometimes speak to our heart. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help guide us in John 16:13, “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for he will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.” Just like Elijah in 1 Kings 19:11-12, we need to be listening for God’s still small voice speaking to our soul.

5. Others. Many times when we are struggling with indecision, God will use others to affirm his will. Sometimes a song will speak to us, or God will use the Pastor’s message. Many times a friend will speak to us and, not realizing our struggle, will speak words of encouragement which will help solidify our decision for the Lord. Other times someone on the radio, or a book will proclaim God’s answer to us. God uses his whole church body to minister to one another. Colossians 3:16 instructs us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” God will speak to us whether it’s the word of Christ, or wisdom, or teaching, or admonishing, or songs, or grace in our hearts. God will confirm his will in our lives.

Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Psalms 34:17 When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Psalms 42:11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

John 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

1 Peter 4:12-13 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.

Isaiah 41:10 “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” 

Matthew 6:34 So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 

Psalm 55:22 Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to be moved (made to slip, fall, or fail).  

God is capable of anything, and He is more than capable of getting you through this. However, if you need to seek help, please do so. Do not be ashamed, there are good, well-trained people who want to assist you. God will help us, but sometimes it’s up to us to take action before He steps in.

Blessings<3

-Sarah

[betype]

[bublog]

From below a BUB.

[annabean14]

#airbub

[bublog]

Hey Lil Bub! I have been looking everywhere for your movie so I can know your whole story! Any help on were to find it? Have a wonderful day! Stay beautiful!

Hello. BUB here.

Yes, you can watch the whole movie it it’s entirety HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gci3ouqUQHI

[annabean14]

#bubmovie

[a-joyfuljourney]

[proverbs31v25]

[annabean14]

#tbt#easter#newport#beingaboss#rabbits

[annabean14]

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Happy early birthday to jenny!!!! #kittyrock#birthday @niffer1955

[annabean14]

Hoatie cuddles on the couch????? #hoatie#cuddletime

[annabean14]

Trust in His promises, choose to believe and have a mindset with hope. The Lord will do His work even in the worse case scenarios when we don't see any light, He is the light and is always working things together for the good of those who believe in Him #letterstojohn#2corinthians#hope#believe#trust

[annabean14]

Trust in His promises, choose to believe and have a mindset with hope. The Lord will do His work even in the nose case scenarios when we don't see any light, He is the light and is always working things together for the good of those who believe in Him #letterstojohn#2corinthians#hope#believe#trust