Because... you're worth it!

What's your favourite slogan or catchphrase from an advert?
How about...

"Because you're worth it" ~ L'Oreal
                                                       ...?

At first hearing it you think someone out there cares about you, then you realise that they only want to sell their product, the people on their advert are airbrushed, and basically it's all fake. It makes you think you should be like them. I'm not speaking from my experience - personally I'm happy as I am! But there are so many people out there looking for acceptance, and that's where Jesus should come in. As a fifteen year old girl, I see my friends searching for that inner acceptance, and cannot understand why they won't give Jesus a try. They don't realise that they don't have to actually DO ANYTHING! They think as a Christian, you have to go to church, pray, read the Bible, blah blah blah but really Christianity is the opposite. It's about God loving you for exactly who you are and what you are and not caring about all these things! Of course, these build you up in the long term, you make friends and encourage each other, and grow with God but it's not obligation, it's fun! Praying is having a chat with my best friend not kneeling in front of a little wooden cross in a stone cold church building somewhere with a choir singing! I walk and chat and have a good time!
I love the song "More Beautiful You" by Jonny Diaz, because he sings about life as it is...

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine

Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn't straight her body isn't fake
And she's always felt overweight
Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are
(CHORUS)
There could never be a more beautiful you
Don't buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you
Little girl twenty-one the things that you've already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you've got a man but he's got another plan
Only wants what you'll do instead
Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there's a man whose love is true
And he'll treat you like the jewel you are
(CHORUS)

So turn around you're not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It's not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who's strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you'll see through the eyes of a little girl

(CHORUS)
There could never be a more beautiful you


YOU ARE PERFECT JUST THE WAY YOU ARE. Don't strive to be anyone else, you are God's amazing creation! If anyone tells you otherwise, they are lying, so don't believe them. Ask God to put a cover round your heart.

Because God thinks you're worth it... and so do I!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ks3R2BwyO0&feature=related <--- Jonny Diaz - More Beautiful You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psqOp8pcY0o <--- The Story Behind the Song :)

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Well, I haven't written to my blog in a while now, but today my entry is about life. Sometimes we don't know where we are going, or even know where we WANT to be going. But it's all laid out there and all we have to do is let God direct us. Close your eyes and imagine someone leading you. Sometimes we are blind to where we are going, but totally trust that that person with their hands on our shoulders is guiding us to the best place possible. We sometimes have no way of seeing where we are going, but a lot of the time we haven't got a blindfold, we are simply just not opening our eyes. God says many times in the Bible that we should not worry because He is taking us on the best journey we can ever have. That is one with Him :)

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.


We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer - Proverbs 16:1

It's refreshing to know these things. It brings a smile to my face, and a warm fuzzy feeling to my stomach, and yes... I am sitting here like a numpty grinning at my computer screen! But do you know what, I don't even care!

I can't remember what the verse was now, I didn't get a chance to write it down, but at my baptism I got given a verse by someone about God leading my pathway, and me bringing others along too. It was so encouraging, I just wish I had written it down!

Even though God has this pathway for us, we still have a choice. There are many different pathways leading other ways, or that God has given us other pathways always leading back to the straight and narrow one. And if there's such a thing as heart strings, which reading my other blogs entries you may think I definitely believe they exist, then I think they are attached to us like safety ropes, when we fall off the pathway, they tug us back in. I believe this because God has chosen us to follow His way. He asks nothing in return, and we get a life plan ahead of us. Sure, there are hills, and pits we fall into and struggle to climb, but we'll get there in the end :)

God bless xxxxxxxx

A New Chapter

On youth camp this weekend, I have learnt a lot about things.
For one, I think I managed not to gossip, and it felt so good. I am a gossip sometimes, and that's something I don't like about myself.
Secondly, God doesn't need to be loud to be there.
I knew this before but the worship at the weekend away was a bit less "joyful" than I expected. I missed the fact that the atmosphere was just the same. God was there. He saw people's hearts, unlike I, who saw less effort. But the atmosphere was the same because God was there, and it's a shame to think I almost missed that.
Also I got to know everyone much better and see a different side to the people I already knew, which was a great opportunity, and to meet new people.
With some exciting, and some sad things coming up, it's always good to realise that God's beginning a new chapter for ALL of us, just as he did on that cross many many years ago.

Forgiveness

This may appear blunt, but this is what I feel God wants to tell you.

Forgiveness is not forgetting what happened, it's just letting go of the other person's throat...

allowing God to deal with them.
God has righteous anger, as in He KNOWS eaxctly what people deserve.
We do not have the right to decide that because someone has made us suffer, we must make them suffer to.
That is GOD's right.
It leaves the burden off of us, and we are free from the suffering they have caused us.
Unforgiveness can cause your own sickness, and pain as it creates a hold over you. If you hang onto it, it wil hang onto you.

So forgive, and let God take your burden.
<3

He's in a whisper, yeah.

I can feel this God song rising up in me. <-- single-handedly the best song line ever.

This is because it gives me faith that God is going to save the person this reminds me of.
Not by power, not by might, but my my Spirit says the Lord.
That was what came to me at last night's p&p meeting, repeatedly until Keith asked for an interpretation of his speaking in tongues, when I felt prompted to share this line of the song.
Not sure of whether it was what he was expecting to hear, it seemed a little short, but that was what I kept getting.

It's times when I don't seem to hear from God that this happens. It's like God's saying "whoops! careful there, you almost slipped over but I've got you, keep going :)" Including the smile at the end! Because He's happy to have me, and I'm happy to have Him!

Also before I left for p&p, I was on my facebook homepage with no other tabs or programs open, when the whole of Bluetree's song Life's Noise played on and off until the end of the song. This confused me slightly, but the song goes:

We'll drown out life's noise with the praises of His name,
We'll drown out life's noise with the praises of His name,
God's noise is breaking through the airwaves,
it's breaking through, it's breaking through.

He wasn't in the fire,
He wasn't in the 'quake,
He wasn't in the wind,
He's in a whisper, yeah.

This comes from the passage on 1 Kings where Elijah is waiting to hear from God. He stands expectant of some huge display, a booming voice, from an old man with a white beard.
This is what he gets:

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the prescence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart, and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.
After the wind, there was an earthquake. But the LORD was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a gentle whisper.
When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
And so it goes on...

Elijah knew it was God speaking to Him. All these other things he could have expected God to speak through, loud and clear, except in his heart he knew it wasn't God. He knew it was God at the gentle whisper. During none of these things did Elijah venture out of the cave in expectance of meeting God, only once there was a gentle whisper. He recognised the voice of God.

Although you may not always hear Him talking to you, he's in a gentle whisper. You are not supposed to hear a shouting voice in your ears shouting instructions. God works in a more sensitive way than that. No human, excluding a really exceptional person with meticulous self-control skills, would take kindly to being screamed at. God knows that, because He knows us so He speaks to us in a way we can understand. Heart beats, a funny tummy feeling, a thought which we feel prompted to share.

If you can't find God, you can't hear Him, then you're looking in the wrong place.
Maybe you're looking in an earthquake, or a fire, or a mighty wind, or you're looking for these things to show you God is there.
But you're looking in the wrong place.
Have open ears and listen for a gentle whisper, a thought from God. You will recognise is, just as Elijah did. You can't see a gentle whisper, so don't be looking for things to happen. Be listening with an open heart and open ears.

<3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXZz5djt_mQ

God loves me...

This video speaks from a child's relationship with God. Since we are all God's children, we should be more like this. Plus its Veggie Tales and SO CUTE!
Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ch239KkCT3Q

:)

I'll Try to be the King of Fools

Last night, at Ignite, we were set a challenge. Ask God to humble us.
Simple? Well, not really.

After praying this I already have been wrongly judged and argued with about my beliefs, but still I have stuck to what I know is true.

Sometimes we need to take a step of faith and don't follow the world, even when the world turns against us.

As the song goes:
It's not so tough for these ordinary hands when you trust someone with extraordinary plans.

And also:
I'll live for you and try to be the King of Fools
I long for you and walk before the King of All

Ephesians 6:10 - Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.

A situation to learn from.

A situation today to learn from.

Someone doesn't fit in... so we laugh.
Someone tries to then fit in by being like us... and we laugh at them.

How can we laugh because they are different,
yet when they become the same as us we laugh at them because they aren't being themselves.

I'll tell you now, we're all hypocrites. Me too, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Maybe we should take a good look at ourselves before we begin to judge others.

Whether you're a Christian or not, Jesus was perfect, He never did anything wrong - yet he sat and ate with the outcasts and didn't judge them.

How is it your place to judge what is good and bad when there are faults in yourself? It is only someone who is perfect who can judge people, and that is God. And the time for this will come, so why don't you take some time off and stop worrying about what other people are doing for once?

This girl, who you all make fun of... you don't know her. You pretend not to be interested in her because noone likes her, but you make a big deal out of something she changes about herself.

Stop judging others, and take a long, hard look in the mirror.

"This One's Dying FOR ME"

"Word of God speak, would you pour down like rain, washing my eyes to see your majesty
To be still and know that you're in this place, please let me stay and rest in your holiness
Word of God speak." Casting Crowns - Word of God Speak

John 1 tells us that the "Word of God" is Jesus. He came to die for us and take away our sins.
I'm sure I speak not just on my own behalf that I take this for granted. Our "sin" is seperation from God. It provokes the wrath of God - his righteous anger - this is NOT GOOD!

In the Old Testament there were many gruesome ways they had to kill and sacrifice animals to allow the blood of these animals to mask over their wrongs.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Leviticus%201&version=NIV

These people SAW the effect of their sins, they felt and knew the reality of what they were doing, where as today we no longer SEE and EXPERIENCE the terrible truth of what we a re doing and have done. As Christians I feel that in our little Christian "bubble" we shrug off our faults and say "God loves me anyway" or to each other "God loves you anyway". Yes, true.
BUT
he doesnt love our sins.
We need to be FREE of them and the only way to GET RID of our sins, not just cover them over was JESUS.
If the most perfect sacrifice on earth was not enough, and could only mask our sins, then something more was needed, a sacrifce so pure, Jesus.

He was the LAMB of God.
He came to save us and so we may not be condemned but have eternal life forever.
Eternal life means that we will be united with God forever - never seperate from Him, even by the power of death it has no hold on us with the stronghold of Jesus.

Romans 6:23 says that:
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

So the Word became flesh, human, and was offered as a sacrifice to heal and wash away our sins .

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus did not come and be the perfect sacrifice through his own will, but through his fathers will. God told him to come here and do this for us - he was dreading the pain and the suffering and DID NOT WANT TO ENDURE IT. But through obedience to his father God he took his instructions even at his darkest, most hurting and worrying moments.
He declared this in Matthew 26:

v39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."
v42 He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

Not by Jesus' will but by God's will.
Not by OUR will but by God's will.

During a sacrifice the person offering the sacrifice would lay their hand on the head of the sacrifice as to declare "this one's dying for me".

So lay your hand on the head of the Lamb of God and declare "this one is dying for ME."

xxx

What Words Cannot Express my heart longs to say

Words Cannot express my lovesong for Jesus

Why when I break your heart so many times do you simply say take my hand?
Why do you flood me with your grace?
You, so forgiving and graceful God forgive me, so undeserving.
Why when I weep do you speak words of comfort and surround me with your love?
You who created the stars and the universe at a single breath, sent your only son for me,I who am nothing, nothing, dust, dust from the ground, you hold me.
In a simple voice I sing little praise to you than you deserve, for words cannot express how glorious you are, but you sing to me, my Jesus
Glorious Jesus, lamb of God, you bring me, your lost sheep, home.

(2 Samuel 22:50) Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name.

<3

We're The Young, We're Alright?

Ecclesiastes 12 1...7 "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” ... Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it."



You may want to read the passage above in the full chapter rather than just the part I have given here. It sums up life in a small chapter.



The idea of the book of Ecclesiates is that everything is meaningless without Jesus. Hence the first line here "Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator." Don't be too busy enjoying life on Earth and forgetting God. It goes on to say in verse 8 "Everything is meaningless," says the Teacher, "completely meaningless."



God created Earth, and so it is meaningless without a belief in God.

Imagine you make some food, but you're not actually hungry, the food now has no point to it whatsoever except to decay and rot away leaving you with nothing. You will have nothing when you are then later on hungry.



Never be too busy to remember and talk to God our Creator.

Ecclesiates 11:9 - "Young people, it's wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do; take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do."



Hello? I'm sorry, did you miss something there?

GIVE AN ACCOUNT TO GOD IN EVERYTHING YOU DO

not just some things

or not at all.



Verse 10 then says: "So refuse to worry, and keep your body healthy. But remember that youth, with a whole life before you, is meaningless."



Life is not to be something that you forget God in, or anything you should worry about.



I'll give you two simple instructions:

1) Don't worry about your life,
2) Consult God in everything you do!

I'll leave you with this also...

1 Peter 4:11
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

God is... POTASSIUM!

There's so many different qualities that God has and is... but I reckon that one they forgot to mention is "God is... POTASSIUM!"

Let's go into the science a little bit here.

Ok so basically, I'm not an expert but at school we store potassium in oil so that it cant react with the oxygen or moisture in the air. By keeping it sealed we are stopping it becoming anything more than a solid lump of metal which has the potential to do so much more!

Imagine that the jar is our hearts and Jesus (the potassium) is in our hearts. He has the potential to do so much, but only if we bring the potassium out of the oil. The oil conceals and blocks the power of the potassium coming through. Imagine theres a blockage or a worry or something, an oil in your heart. It is stopping Jesus shining through. This needs to be removed in the name of Jesus and the potassium set free.

However, although the potassium is potentially explosive, it needs a little water to get it going. You have to supply your own water or ask God to do this for you. Prepare the way beforehand, and you will get a perfect explosion just the impact that Jesus wanted.

The more potassium, the more explosive!
i.e. (if you haven't figured it out for yourself yet...) The more Jesus, the more impact and explosion!!

When potassium sets alight its flame as it reacts in the water (the persons life) it is a beautiful pinky/ purpley colour - and God is so beautiful!

So remove any blockages or walls you have built up in your heart (the oil)
Set up the foundation or let God have already prepared someone's heart (the water)
and see some explosions in their life! Effortless with the beauty of God, yet creating such an impact!

So remember... God is... POTASSIUM!

Jesus is Number 1!

Deuteronomy 6:5 - Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

This verse is in the context of rules the God gave to his people so that they would be able to live a long and fulfilled life... verse one and two state:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

It goes on after verse 5 to tell the people to write the commands on their doorframes, talk about them, impress them on their children - anything to remember them! See, God knew these people just as He knows us. He asked them to do these things so that they would be able to remember His commands. It shows just how important it was for them, and us today! If you read this and know that the people feared God and did these things, them maybe we should make more effort - come on everyone get out those memory verses! ;)




Matthew 22:37 - Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind

This is a very significant verse. The Pharisees decided to test Jesus and one of them asked Him "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" If Jesus told them that this were the most important commandment then it should be followed! Nothing should ever come before Jesus.




Mark 12:30 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'

This is repeated so many times in the Bible! Let's just think here. What do you do to remember something - oh look!... God already told the people to write it down so that they could repeat it and remember it - and He's done the same! He's written it down again for us so that we can remember it as it is repeated!




Luke 10:27 - He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Again here someone who just happened to be an expert in the Law decided to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" The above was Jesus' reply. Love. What is love? One definition is: a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend. You should be willing to love others the way you love yourself, yet first you need to love yourself, accept yourself for who you are. You cannot criticize yourself because God made you, and otherwise you are criticizing His creating skills!


So...
1) Love Jesus, put Him first!
2) Love yourself and your neighbours!

Tell the World!

Mark 16:15 - And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

Don't you just love it when you see a man or woman on the street busking, and just as you're about to feel sorry for them standing there in the pooring rain you realise they have no money pot. They are praising Jesus and preaching the Gospel to the bystanders and people walking past! Doesn't it just put a smile on your face?! Well I'll tell you now, I saw such a man today, and do you know what I did? I simply smiled, walked by... and JOINED IN SINGING!

Some of Romans 12 God wants you to know :)

It's a little long-winded but bear with me and please have a read!

2) Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Let God bear the burdens and choices you have to make, He will change the way you think so that you can be a new, stronger person. It says you will be pleased about this and it will be perfect and that you will learn to know God's will for you - which is always a bonus!

4-5) Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

God has a different plan for all of us as individuals, yet never think that this plan is only for you. We were created not to live alone but to work together. So read on and have a look at some of the job descriptions God has offered you:

6-8) In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well.

So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you.

If your gift is serving others, serve them well.

If you are a teacher, teach well.

If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.

If it is giving, give generously.

If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

What would you like to do? Or what does God want you to do that will please you. too like it reads in verse 2?! You see, once you learn to know God's will for you it's simple!

9-12) Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection [Greek - brotherly love], and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. [but serve the Lord with a zealous spirit; or but let the Spirit excite you as you serve the Lord.] Rejoice in our confident hope.
Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

This is extremely important. Jesus' first command was to love Him. His second was to love others. Get to know each other and use your new "job" to help those you learn to love! Don't forget, also Jesus said when you give you will also receive! Make an effort and praise the Lord for what He's done for you and never be afraid to ask for more... our God is a generous God! Be filled with the joy of the Lord! Always P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens)! God will answer - even if it takes time - with a "yes", "no" or "wait". Be patient and see what God has in His plan for you!

God bless, Emma :)

Talk to God :)

1 Peter 4:7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.

When we pray, we are talking to God, and sometimes we need to be reminded it is not a joke and focus. Imagine if you are talking to your child and they are distracted by something, but you really desire to talk to them as you maybe haven't even talked to them today, or for a while. It would be upsetting, or just a little rude.

God wants to talk to you. He delights at hearing your voice and loves a chat. God has a sense of humour too!

So have joy talking to God today and tell him how your day's been or have a general chat, ask for something... anything! :)

Putting the "us" in Jesus

I've set up this blog in the hope that you will be encouraged or even able to question yourself about what God's word is saying to you in your life today.
God Bless, Emma :)