First of all, I hope that you had a wonderful, blessed, family- and friend-filled Christmas. Mine was wonderful, and I am so thankful for everything that God has been so gracious as to give me. Second, Seven Days of Prayer is halfway done and I can honestly say that I have not been on facebook or twitter once! I've been talking to God a whole lot lately, and it's just been really nice. =)
The title of this blog is Everyday Survival Kit because I received such a kit for Christmas this year and felt like everyone should be aware of how to get through life. Basically, my Aunt Becky and Uncle Tim are the bomb and I love them and wish that I could see them all the time. But, they live in Florida and I'm stuck here in Ohio. Regardless...here's what you need, according to my aunt and uncle, for everyday survival:
TOOTHPICK...to remind you to pick out the good qualities in others.
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." -Matthew 7:1
RUBBER BAND...to remind you to be flexible. Things might not always go the way you want, but it will work out.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." -Romans 8:28
CANDY KISS...to remind you that everyone needs a kiss or a hug everyday.
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God." -1 John 4:7
BAND AID...to remind you to heal hurt feelings; yours or someone else's.
"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." -Ephesians 4:32
PENCIL...to remind you to list your blessings everyday.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ." -Ephesians 1:3
HOT CHOCOLATE...to remind you to relax daily and go over that list of God's blessings.
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." -1 Thessalonians 5:18
CHEWING GUM...to remind you to stick with it and you can accomplish anything.
"I can do everything through him who gives me strength." -Philippians 4:13
MINT...to remind you that you are worth a mint to your Heavenly Father.
"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him." -John 3:16-17
ERASER...to remind you that everyone makes mistakes, and it's okay.
"When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, "What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?"... (Joseph) "So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And reassured them and spoke kindly to them. -Genesis 50:15-21
Enjoy the rest of your holidays. Eat cookies. Build a snowman. Talk to Jesus. Give someone a hug. Laugh really hard. Love yourself.
Enter the new year with a clear mind, an open heart and a cute outfit. =)
peaceandlove<3
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas eve eve
It doesn't feel like Christmas is only two days away. Maybe it's because we're in the middle of moving to a new house, or because i'm sick, or because there's not 3 feet of snow outside. Or maybe it's because, as Americans, we have such a ridiculously distorted idea of what Christmas is supposed to be. And as Christians, we're totally okay with that. We have 100% bought into the holiday hype of shopping and buying and decorating and stressing that nobody cares that our nation is falling apart religiously. It's not just during the winter, either.
I couldn't count on twelve hands the number of times i've heard people complain about Christianity/religion/church/the world. It's seems like everyone I talk to has one opinion or another on how things should be different. You know what I could count on one hand, though? The number of times i've heard people say that they were going to do something about it. That makes me sick and frustrated and disappointed. I feel like, if people would spend as much time thinking of a solution to a problem as they do talking about the problem, this world would be such a better place. If you don't like that there are no people your age at church: invite some of your friends. If you hate that you are partying and making bad decisions every weekend: STOP going to parties! If you think the government is screwing you over: write a letter to the freaking white house!!! But stop sitting on your butt thinking that complaining is going to solve all of your problems. Constant negativity does NOT make you feel better, and it doesn't fix things. You know how they say actions speak louder than words? I don't really know who 'they' are but, in most cases, they are totally right. So as you are writing your new years' resolutions, I challenge you to make one that matters. Make a resolution that is going to better not only yourself, but the world around you. If you have a problem, solve it. Be the change you want to see.
Starting Friday, I'm taking part in a challenge labeled Seven Days of Prayer. From Christmas to New Years Day, I will be MIA from all social networking sites: facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. The idea behind SDOP was a vision of challenging 500 college age students to take a week hiatus from social networking and spend more time with God. The group is currently at over 2,800 members and I believe it will continue to grow. It's going to be hard. One entire week without checking facebook or updating twitter? That's a long time. 168 hours, to be exact. But you know what? Life is hard. Being a young adult in 2009 is hard. And, honestly, being a christian is no walk in a field of flowers. Satan is attacking every part of our country. Young, old, strong, weak, happy, sad, whatever. He's there. But he's sneaky. He pretends to be your friend and he sweet talks you into doing things that you know you shouldn't. So this challenge, to me, is about more than taking a break from facebook. It's about making a difference. It's about growing spiritually and mentally and emotionally. It's about giving the devil a roundhouse kick to the face because i'm stronger than him. We are stronger than him. God is stronger than him.
I know that this post is a little ADD, but that's pretty much how my life is. If you found part of it harsh or offensive, I don't apologize. If you are offended by what I said: do something about it. I'm not going to sugar coat how I feel just so that you don't feel guilty about being a lazy christian. And if you feel up to it, I challenge you to join me, and thousands of others, in Seven Days of Prayer. Whenever you would normally check your facebook: pray. Every time you feel the urge to tweet: pray. Myspace message? Pray. I can only imagine how many amazing things are going to happen with so much prayer being sent up to the big man.
The generation that will change the world will be the generation that the world can't change.
I'm praying for all of you this holiday season. I'm praying that we get back to the true meaning of Christmas. I'm praying that you look in your heart and decide to be the change you want to see. You can do it. We can do it. Let's change the world, friends. =)
peaceandlove<3
I couldn't count on twelve hands the number of times i've heard people complain about Christianity/religion/church/the world. It's seems like everyone I talk to has one opinion or another on how things should be different. You know what I could count on one hand, though? The number of times i've heard people say that they were going to do something about it. That makes me sick and frustrated and disappointed. I feel like, if people would spend as much time thinking of a solution to a problem as they do talking about the problem, this world would be such a better place. If you don't like that there are no people your age at church: invite some of your friends. If you hate that you are partying and making bad decisions every weekend: STOP going to parties! If you think the government is screwing you over: write a letter to the freaking white house!!! But stop sitting on your butt thinking that complaining is going to solve all of your problems. Constant negativity does NOT make you feel better, and it doesn't fix things. You know how they say actions speak louder than words? I don't really know who 'they' are but, in most cases, they are totally right. So as you are writing your new years' resolutions, I challenge you to make one that matters. Make a resolution that is going to better not only yourself, but the world around you. If you have a problem, solve it. Be the change you want to see.
Starting Friday, I'm taking part in a challenge labeled Seven Days of Prayer. From Christmas to New Years Day, I will be MIA from all social networking sites: facebook, myspace, twitter, etc. The idea behind SDOP was a vision of challenging 500 college age students to take a week hiatus from social networking and spend more time with God. The group is currently at over 2,800 members and I believe it will continue to grow. It's going to be hard. One entire week without checking facebook or updating twitter? That's a long time. 168 hours, to be exact. But you know what? Life is hard. Being a young adult in 2009 is hard. And, honestly, being a christian is no walk in a field of flowers. Satan is attacking every part of our country. Young, old, strong, weak, happy, sad, whatever. He's there. But he's sneaky. He pretends to be your friend and he sweet talks you into doing things that you know you shouldn't. So this challenge, to me, is about more than taking a break from facebook. It's about making a difference. It's about growing spiritually and mentally and emotionally. It's about giving the devil a roundhouse kick to the face because i'm stronger than him. We are stronger than him. God is stronger than him.
I know that this post is a little ADD, but that's pretty much how my life is. If you found part of it harsh or offensive, I don't apologize. If you are offended by what I said: do something about it. I'm not going to sugar coat how I feel just so that you don't feel guilty about being a lazy christian. And if you feel up to it, I challenge you to join me, and thousands of others, in Seven Days of Prayer. Whenever you would normally check your facebook: pray. Every time you feel the urge to tweet: pray. Myspace message? Pray. I can only imagine how many amazing things are going to happen with so much prayer being sent up to the big man.
The generation that will change the world will be the generation that the world can't change.
I'm praying for all of you this holiday season. I'm praying that we get back to the true meaning of Christmas. I'm praying that you look in your heart and decide to be the change you want to see. You can do it. We can do it. Let's change the world, friends. =)
peaceandlove<3
Thursday, December 10, 2009
turning feelings into words.
Sometimes I write how I feel because I don't know how to say it. But if you read this, I guess now you know.
i remember when i was just a little girl
daddy told me i could have anything in the world
i always thought that was true
and then i met you
now i'm writing you this simple song
cuz i'm not sure if he's right or wrong
would you say yes? would you say no?
ask me to stay? tell me to go?
let's fall in love or never kiss
we could change the world
or leave it just as it is
I may or may not add more to it but, for now, this is my feelings put into words.
peaceandlove<3
i remember when i was just a little girl
daddy told me i could have anything in the world
i always thought that was true
and then i met you
now i'm writing you this simple song
cuz i'm not sure if he's right or wrong
would you say yes? would you say no?
ask me to stay? tell me to go?
let's fall in love or never kiss
we could change the world
or leave it just as it is
I may or may not add more to it but, for now, this is my feelings put into words.
peaceandlove<3
yeahh brownies! =)
cleveland browns just beat the steelers.
I feel as though that is definitely blog-worthy. =)
ok. that is all. cleveland rocks. goodnight.
peaceandlove<3
I feel as though that is definitely blog-worthy. =)
ok. that is all. cleveland rocks. goodnight.
peaceandlove<3
Monday, December 7, 2009
Operation Starvation Awareness
One of the first thoughts I have when I wake up is always, 'i'm hungry.' So I go to the kitchen and I eat a bowl of lucky charms. Then an hour later I have nothing to do so I eat a snack. And then i'll have a sandwich. Maybe some soup later. My mom makes something good for dinner almost every single night. When she doesn't, we order out. My point: I can get something to eat whenever I want. I'm sure most of you can as well. I've never really thought about how much I take eating for granted until now.
I follow Demi Lovato on twitter, and followed a link from one of her tweets that will probably make me think differently about how much I eat for a long time. The link sent me to a blog by Brandt Russo. He has a t-shirt company called Can't Ignore The Poor (http://cantignorethepoor.bigcartel.com/) and does a lot to help out people in poverty. But this blog is about something more. This blog is about giving a voice to the 30,000 invisible children who are going to die tonight because they don't have anything to eat. Brandt is going on a hunger strike to raise money to help feed the hungry. I am honestly touched by his story, because it just really made me realize how blessed I am to have the things that I don't take time to appreciate every day. I will be praying for his journey, and would appreciate if you would too.
With the holiday season coming in full swing, alot of us often forget what the true spirit of Christmas is all about. We forget that it's more about giving than about getting. It's about love and appreciation and miracles. It's about sharing Christ with others, and for some people...Christ may come in the form of a meal that they haven't had in days, maybe even weeks. This year for Christmas, rather than buying gifts for people who probably have too many things to begin with, i'm going to donate my gift money to the invisible children of the world. And if you're reading this, I wish that you would consider doing the same thing. I'm not saying that nobody should get Christmas presents, because it does feel nice to both give and recieve gifts, but maybe instead of spending $60 on a shirt for your girlfriend, you can buy her a $40 shirt and spend $20 saving someone's life. If you are planning on getting me a gift, don't. Spend that money helping somebody who really needs it. This is seriously something that i'm feeling very strongly about right now, and I hope that you all will at least keep Brandt and the invisible children in your thoughts this holiday season. If you would like to read his blog, go to the following link. http://operationstarvation.tumblr.com/ If you would like to donate to the cause, go here ->http://www.adoptajesus.com/blog.html
No child should EVER starve to death. We can help make a difference. A little bit goes a long way.
peaceandlove<3
I follow Demi Lovato on twitter, and followed a link from one of her tweets that will probably make me think differently about how much I eat for a long time. The link sent me to a blog by Brandt Russo. He has a t-shirt company called Can't Ignore The Poor (http://cantignorethepoor.bigcartel.com/) and does a lot to help out people in poverty. But this blog is about something more. This blog is about giving a voice to the 30,000 invisible children who are going to die tonight because they don't have anything to eat. Brandt is going on a hunger strike to raise money to help feed the hungry. I am honestly touched by his story, because it just really made me realize how blessed I am to have the things that I don't take time to appreciate every day. I will be praying for his journey, and would appreciate if you would too.
With the holiday season coming in full swing, alot of us often forget what the true spirit of Christmas is all about. We forget that it's more about giving than about getting. It's about love and appreciation and miracles. It's about sharing Christ with others, and for some people...Christ may come in the form of a meal that they haven't had in days, maybe even weeks. This year for Christmas, rather than buying gifts for people who probably have too many things to begin with, i'm going to donate my gift money to the invisible children of the world. And if you're reading this, I wish that you would consider doing the same thing. I'm not saying that nobody should get Christmas presents, because it does feel nice to both give and recieve gifts, but maybe instead of spending $60 on a shirt for your girlfriend, you can buy her a $40 shirt and spend $20 saving someone's life. If you are planning on getting me a gift, don't. Spend that money helping somebody who really needs it. This is seriously something that i'm feeling very strongly about right now, and I hope that you all will at least keep Brandt and the invisible children in your thoughts this holiday season. If you would like to read his blog, go to the following link. http://operationstarvation.tumblr.com/ If you would like to donate to the cause, go here ->http://www.adoptajesus.com/blog.html
No child should EVER starve to death. We can help make a difference. A little bit goes a long way.
peaceandlove<3
Friday, December 4, 2009
Lady of Devotion
Devotion - profound dedication; earnest attachment to a cause, person.
How many times have you been at a wedding or family gathering or social event where your basically the only single person in the room? Sometimes I feel like it's the story of my life. And there's always a few people, without fail, who come up and say 'when's it your turn? why don't you have a date? aww, the only single one...don't worry I'm sure it'll happen someday. always a bridesmaid, never a bride.' For the record, if you are one of the people who make those comments because you think you're funny...we're not laughing. People tend to think less of singles. But that's not how God intended it to be. Christ gave single people the advantage of not having any distractions. If you're single, you have the opportunity to fully devote yourself to your relationship with the Lord, without the distractions of a spouse or children.
Devotion is a big word. I'm talking more about depth than length. Profound dedication....that's HUGE! It's like, you can't just kind of be in love with God. It's all or nothing, ladies and gentleman. Take the example used in the book (obviously paraphrased by yours truly): So you're sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch by yourself, feeling like the most ginormous loser in school, staring at the man of your dreams. No chance, right? Then, just as you're biting into your peanut butter sandwich, he comes and sits right next to you. (Is your heart beating faster yet?) So you talk for a little while and he is your perfect match. Everything about him is interesting, and you know that you were meant to be. You date for awhile and fall madly in love. Fast forward a decent amount of time. You're sitting on a park bench in late spring and he tells you that he loves you. He says that for 364 days a year, he is going to be the most devoted, faithful, loving, caring husband he can possibly be. Sounds wonderful, you think. BUT, for one day a year, he can go all Tiger Woods on you and date as many people as he wants, just to see what he's missing out on. Now, 364 days is a lot. But is that good enough? No way! Are we ridiculous for asking for 365 days a year of full commitment and love? Definitely not. And neither is God. We have to be wonderfully, achingly, hopelessly devoted to Jesus Christ 365 days a year. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Always. At all times. Forever.
How do you actually become devoted to God? It's like making a new friend. You know when you meet someone new and you start spending crazy amounts of time together? You talk and text and facebook and email and tweet for hours a day. That's what we need to do with God. We have to spend time with Him and get to know Him. It has to be a two-way street. Talk to God - and listen to Him. Those times when you're praying and all of the sudden it's just silent...maybe that just means that you should be listening rather than chatting. We can't just talk and ask and take and receive. We have to love God for who He is, not what He can give to us.
To anyone who is single right now: don't hate yourself for it. There is nothing wrong with you. You are beautiful and strong and loved. Take advantage of this freedom. Use it to grow closer to God. You may never have this time for devotion again. Embrace it. Love it.
Give God your undistracted, wholehearted devotion. He will be the best friend you will ever have. In the words of my friend, Timothy, let God romance you. =)
peaceandlove<3
How many times have you been at a wedding or family gathering or social event where your basically the only single person in the room? Sometimes I feel like it's the story of my life. And there's always a few people, without fail, who come up and say 'when's it your turn? why don't you have a date? aww, the only single one...don't worry I'm sure it'll happen someday. always a bridesmaid, never a bride.' For the record, if you are one of the people who make those comments because you think you're funny...we're not laughing. People tend to think less of singles. But that's not how God intended it to be. Christ gave single people the advantage of not having any distractions. If you're single, you have the opportunity to fully devote yourself to your relationship with the Lord, without the distractions of a spouse or children.
Devotion is a big word. I'm talking more about depth than length. Profound dedication....that's HUGE! It's like, you can't just kind of be in love with God. It's all or nothing, ladies and gentleman. Take the example used in the book (obviously paraphrased by yours truly): So you're sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch by yourself, feeling like the most ginormous loser in school, staring at the man of your dreams. No chance, right? Then, just as you're biting into your peanut butter sandwich, he comes and sits right next to you. (Is your heart beating faster yet?) So you talk for a little while and he is your perfect match. Everything about him is interesting, and you know that you were meant to be. You date for awhile and fall madly in love. Fast forward a decent amount of time. You're sitting on a park bench in late spring and he tells you that he loves you. He says that for 364 days a year, he is going to be the most devoted, faithful, loving, caring husband he can possibly be. Sounds wonderful, you think. BUT, for one day a year, he can go all Tiger Woods on you and date as many people as he wants, just to see what he's missing out on. Now, 364 days is a lot. But is that good enough? No way! Are we ridiculous for asking for 365 days a year of full commitment and love? Definitely not. And neither is God. We have to be wonderfully, achingly, hopelessly devoted to Jesus Christ 365 days a year. 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. Always. At all times. Forever.
How do you actually become devoted to God? It's like making a new friend. You know when you meet someone new and you start spending crazy amounts of time together? You talk and text and facebook and email and tweet for hours a day. That's what we need to do with God. We have to spend time with Him and get to know Him. It has to be a two-way street. Talk to God - and listen to Him. Those times when you're praying and all of the sudden it's just silent...maybe that just means that you should be listening rather than chatting. We can't just talk and ask and take and receive. We have to love God for who He is, not what He can give to us.
To anyone who is single right now: don't hate yourself for it. There is nothing wrong with you. You are beautiful and strong and loved. Take advantage of this freedom. Use it to grow closer to God. You may never have this time for devotion again. Embrace it. Love it.
Give God your undistracted, wholehearted devotion. He will be the best friend you will ever have. In the words of my friend, Timothy, let God romance you. =)
peaceandlove<3
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