#baysidecollege

[0hheybeautifullove]

People do not determine your purpose, God does. 💓 #previewweekend #baysidecollege (at Fresh Kitchen)

[riaaariaaa-blog]

Love never fails 😍

God truly puts the right people in your life when you need it the most. Lately, I’ve experienced a lot happening in my life and the love and support God has provided with me is unbelievably amazing. I can't thank God enough to open up the doors for me into Bayside College. These people aren't just my friends, they are truly family that I've never had. I love my Bayside College family and what God is doing in and through us!

[riaaariaaa-blog]

His Creation

As I sat on the cool sand at the beach the other night watching the sunset, I began to thank God for what he has done on Earth. Looking out unto the water and the sky just embracing how great of a Father we have that would create such a beautiful place for us to live. After I thanked him, I began to talk to him about my day. I had felt this sense of emptiness and lost. I asked God why he does certain things to me and puts certain people in my life. He told me, “ Maria, you are one of a kind, you are a strong soldier and I know you can get through it if you just look to me.” I began to sob and thanking him for what he has done in my life and what he is continuing to do in me and through me. It is so awesome when you finally connect and can hear and feel him sitting in his beautiful creation.

[grantfulkerson-baysidecolle-blog]

Shamelessly Stolen

The best part of this title is I could really take this in a thousand directions. Since I’m not really sure what I’m going to write this week, I’ll just let it flow.

So this week I got lunch with a friend, and since what he said rang very true with me. I will shamelessly borrow it.

We were talking about worship and the question was “How are you so free in worship?” Well, we talked a bit and I walked away with a few points.

1. Worship is you and God, the other people in the room that might stare/judge you for worshiping in a different and lavish way can go leave. Running on this tangent, you go to church to worship with other believers. The same people who should be going after Jesus just as hard. Why then do we care about what they think? 

2. Sometimes in worship you’ll get hit by this huge lightning bolt of ideas and energy and an unmistakably clear word from God. When I asked why this doesn’t happen every time you go into worship, the answer was pretty simple. (If that didn’t just sound like blatant clickbait, I don’t know what does)

Anyway, if we got this direct word from God every time, a few things would happen. First, our minds would explode and we would die. Second, and a much more literal reason, it would devalue our worship. If you just thought a few nice thoughts about God and suddenly you got all your questions answered. You would soon just get the answers you were asking for and then leave. Our worship would then mean nothing.

So how do we worship? Well that’s where the ball falls squarely in your court. How free you are in worship is now entirely between you and God. But examine thou self before thou crashes thou self. Just how much are you worried about what other people think?

[leonna-chapman-blog]

God's awesome.

So this past week has been really rough, in the best way!  I love God so much I just want to talk about what He's done for me.  So, last Thursday I threw out all this junk I had, tying me to my past. I ended up filling four trash bags! Once that was out of my house and out of my life, I felt like I was on top of the world!! Literally it was so cool! After I had that out, God was able to work in ways I've never seen Him work. Just speaking, giving me visions, and just chilling with me. That sounds so weird but it's so chill. On Saturday I went to a Woman's conference, where I saw a friend from church. She pointed out how I looked different, not physically but just radiant. She also introduced me to a friend of hers as a 'true worshipper' this reminded me that I LOVED to worship. The joy was really able to come through after that. I felt like I did back when I first got saved. Then God broke a soul tie later that night. Like what?! I don't even have words. Fast forward to today, so I'm sitting in chapel journaling. and God leads me to Mark 5:6 

When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him.

After some hesitation I got on my knees and God spoke to me, "All that you have asked for, has been given. My prayers have been answered. What a confidence booster, when the God of the universe is like, "Hey I hear you, and you're important to me, I love you, and your little prayers about your little life have been answered. Okay? I love you bye."  What happens when deference to God has been given. I know this isn't the most well written of blogs, but I thought it'd be cool to just share a bit. Yeah, how cool is He? Pay obeisance to God and you won't regret it.

[leonna-chapman-blog]

Being Childlike

   If you know me, you know kids scare me. Actually anything under 30 scares me. Since starting Bayside College I've been able to chill with some little kids in ACME. I love the preschool age and anything younger because they're not too difficult, but God really showed me just what it means to be childlike. We often think being childlike is being immature and that's not the case.    First off if you don't spend time with pre-k, you should. They are hilarious! They also include a lot of God's qualities, joy, forgiveness, love, acceptance, etc. For example, last Saturday one of the boys in the pre-k room decked another kid, square in the eyeball. I don't know what happened but man, it was intense!     One stood in the corner while the other cried out of his good eye, but I tell you, as soon as the one at fault apologized, it was accepted, and forgotten. They went back to playing IMMEDIATELY. This could be reflected in our spiritual walks, how often do we hold on to our 'eye' and weep, waiting and in pain?    Last night, I was able to mingle with all the pre-k cats and I came across a little boy named Chase. Now Chase was a pretty cool dude, and he boldly asked me, "What's the worst you've ever done?"  I have done some pretty bad things in my life, but sin is sin, sooo, I went with "lied to my parents'. He got so serious and just said, "That's pretty bad."    We often compare sin, like a lie is not as bad as drugs. The truth is, it's death. It's incomparable and thankfully we have a God who loved us and sacrificed His son, so we don't have to pay that price. Ultimately it reminds me, that we justify what we do. The truth is we have become numb to a world that treats things as, 'not a big deal', it's a downfall. We think children are 'sheltered' but they live with a heavily convicted spirit, and that makes me desire the same.    Kids are awesome, and we can learn a lot from them. We trust God's word just because He says. They have a powerful faith, because of the trust and love they have for Him. I truly hope that I continue to grow into a childlike love, faith, conviction, forgiveness and stay in that mindset even when life throws the old fist of fives at me.

[leonna-chapman-blog]

Feelings Over Facts?

"How much would you change, if you changed your perspective?"        God has been working on me like no other these past two weeks. We get the privilege of learning about freedom in a class led by our head staff. Through these past weeks we've received packets of different prayers, scriptures and tools we can use in every day life to gain freedom through Christ.

   The thing is, we're already free. God says so many things in scripture about freedom, in Him, through Him, and from Him.     Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. -2 Cor 3:17

   So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. -Galatians 5:1

   So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. -John 8:36

I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts. -Psalm 119:45

   Freedom is littered throughout the entire bible, and I asked for freedom from the Holy Spirit, who led me to Isaiah 52:1-2, 7-12.

Wake up, wake up, O Zion!     Clothe yourself with strength. Put on your beautiful clothes, O holy city of Jerusalem,     for unclean and godless people will enter your gates no longer. Rise from the dust, O Jerusalem.     Sit in a place of honor. Remove the chains of slavery from your neck,

How beautiful on the mountains     are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation,     the news that the God of Israel reigns! The watchmen shout and sing with joy,     for before their very eyes     they see the Lord returning to Jerusalem. Let the ruins of Jerusalem break into joyful song,     for the Lord has comforted his people.     He has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has demonstrated his holy power     before the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth will see     the victory of our God.

Get out! Get out and leave your captivity,     where everything you touch is unclean. Get out of there and purify yourselves,     you who carry home the sacred objects of the Lord. You will not leave in a hurry,     running for your lives. For the Lord will go ahead of you;     yes, the God of Israel will protect you from behind.    God showed me that I need to wake up. clothe myself with strength, rise from the dust, sit my butt down in a place of honour, and REMOVE THE CHAINS OF SLAVERY FROM MY NECK.    We are to rejoice in the freedom and victory we have in Christ. He has redeemed us, comforted us, and brought good news of peace and salvation.    We are instructed to leave our captivity, but not to the point where we're running for our lives...BECAUSE...God has gone before us and He is protecting us from behind.     So that to me says, all we have to do is walk away. We don't have to run and hide, or constantly flee from sin, but simply put down those chains and choose to walk away.     Easier said than done I know. God spoke to me a sentence after this..."Freedom is not necessarily a feeling, it's a fact."

Fact- n, a thing that is indisputably the case. reality, actuality, certainty    We have to stop basing our foundation with God simply off of feelings. Take a court case for example, if all I had was my gut feeling that my defendant is not guilt, how would my case hold up in court? The prosecutor would destroy me with evidence, and with facts.    Spiritual warfare is the same thing. If I go off of gut feelings, what happens the time I don't feel free? How will I defend myself against the enemy. We've got to have the facts, and our facts are scriptures and our faith. They're God's promises and if we hold them, and believe them, we will win the battle. Or court case if you will. We fight our enemy with our God's word.

   Imagine if we changed our perspective to that of freedom? We can take comfort in God's promises for new life without bondage. It's fact, it's in scripture. My point is to stop holding on to your bondage. Snap out of the victim mentality and walk away from captivity and into the new life God has for you.    We praise and rejoice Him in all situations, whether we feel like it or not. We choose to pick up the chains, we choose to walk back in the jail cell, we choose to not believe God's word and wallow in the woe is me. So, imagine if instead we chose to worship God, we chose serve His people with a kingdom heart, and chose to stand firm on the faith of God's word and believe that we are free.    Perspective is everything, if we believe that we are free, the feelings will come. Take a moment and answer, how much would you change, if you changed your perspective? How much would your situation change? How much would the people around you change? How much would your relationship with God change, if you change to a perspective of freedom?    Choose to choose facts over feelings.    Live as free people, but don't hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead, use your freedom to serve God - 1 Peter 2:16 (God's Word Translation)

[leonna-chapman-blog]

Persevering with Perspective

   This week has been a roller coaster; I've really taken my focus off of God, searching for things to fill the 'void'. It's so funny how a good day can be offset by something so small...IF YOU LET IT.     There are situations in my life that are a little tough, and it's hard to keep eyes pointed up when so many things are pulling you down. I've got to persevere, there are so many things that I am blessed with on the daily. For example, a fellow first year offered to fix my shattered phone screen for me, which I was originally told is over 150$ to fix.    He bought the screen for me, and spent a few hours working on it, I was blessed by my phone bill being paid and my gas for the week. I was blessed to be able to sit down and talk with my Women's Director. I was blessed by being around my peers who are constantly lifting me up. I am blessed, man...     I'm working on my grateful heart, it's hard when the world is so dark but we HAVE to remember what God has promised us. We have to reach out when we are falling. He's what keeps us strong, it's what keeps our faith in the Lord. He's there, even if we can't feel Him right now, or hear Him, or see Him. He is there. Waiting.    We had a pretty cool session on Friday, I was able to get free from a lot of stuff, including my perspective. I was led to a couple scriptures in my bible.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,   because the Lord has anointed me....    ...I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,     my whole being shall exult in my God;      for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,       he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,        as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,         and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.          For as the earth brings forth its shoots,           and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,            so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise             to spring up before all the nations. -Isaiah 61:1, 10-11   

   ...because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. -Romans 8:2

   I don't have time to be moping, with all what God is doing in my life. I need to be rejoicing because I am covered, I have salvation, I am anointed, and I am free.