I volunteer

How many of us love a good story? Especially the stories where a hero is involved. Where the hero in some sort of way volunteers there alive for someone else in the story. To be a bit more specific, in the hunger games Katniss literally yells out the words I volunteer… I volunteer as tribute to, for her sister Primrose.  how many of us think about what it would be like to have a hero like that, to have someone who will volunteer their lives, the chance to die, just to save us? I bet the answer is yes for many of you who are reading this right now. I bet many of us wish we had someone in our lives that would sacrifice their life for us. I bet we would love to have somebody who would volunteer their lives to save us. I bet many of us wants a hero like Katniss.

Well here's the thing… We do. We do have someone who volunteered their life for us, we do have someone who loves us so much that he put on a cross for us. I used to not think of it that way. I used to not think of it in a way that Jesus volunteered his life for us he volunteered to Die on the cross for our sins instead of us having to  die for our sins, he died for them instead. He volunteered his life so that we may live.

Lets take a look at Barabbas in Matthew 27:16, Luke 23:19, John 18:40, Mark 15:7... But in this post, I am focusing on Matthew 27:16.

Bababbas' story in the Bible paints a vivid picture of this, paints a picture of Jesus volunteering for our sins, to die for them. See pilot ask the crowd who they wanted. He asked them do you want does notorious robber or the king of the Jews…and they responded Barabbas. Then pilot asked what what do we do with Jesus, what do we do with this man? And that's when the people shouted...crucify him! 

Do you realize that the Heavenly father could've save Jesus at any given moment? Do you realize Jesus could have saved himself at any given moment? But he chose and God chose to sacrifice Jesus' life so that Barabbas and other sinners, including ourselves may live instead of him. Jesus died for our sins, even though he did not have to! He is a hero of our story, he is a hero of our movie, if that's how you want to look at it! He volunteered his life to save each and everyone of us!

I can't make this up people!

 For years I have been looking, and looking, and looking for a hero in my life. For someone to come and save me, for someone to always be there and the thing is I would look in places I shouldn't. I would do things I shouldn't have done, and to be honest that lasted for too long, it was went on and off again for years and years. I would clean up my act and be the good girl I was supposed to be then I would hang out with the wrong crowd and get sucked into society and All the negative influences that I shouldn't of been doing and then it just ate at me until I was doing this and doing that, falling farther away from God because I was looking for a hero I was looking for something (anything but God) to Fill the God size hole in my heart. I was running from God. But a thing is, is that God saved my life (and yours) millions of years ago when he volunteered to take from my spot on that cross and finally in 2016 I am making it a point to live my live 110% for God instead of living my life to please those around me. I'm living my life for God instead of having sex and talking to every guy just because I want to find my future husband, now I know God will provide that for me. I am done living my life for me. So instead of doing all of that I'm going to be living for God and I want to volunteer to be his hands and feet. I want to volunteer to be his voice when I need to be. I would volunteer to live my life as God would want me to. I volunteer my life for the purpose of God's will here on earth. What do you volunteer for?

Is there a reason or just a coincidence?

I tend to are wonder about things in life, I wonder if ALL things have a reason, or if some really are just coincidences...

For instance, do you meet certain people because it was a coincidence that you both were in the same place at the same time? Or is there a reason. That's just a vague example, but even then I tend to believe that EVERYthing happens for a reason. Coincidences happen, but they happen for a reason.

Another, personal, example... I went through a rough childhood at the beginning of my life, after coming to know God, I knew that I went through all of that for a reason. Then at the age of 21 (almost 22), a certain group of 4 littles came into my life, 2 years later they too became Farhar's.

Me, the four Amazing littles, and Cole

Well, for those who know their story, probably know where I am going with this. See, little did I know God was going to use my experiences of my childhood, to help these four precious kids. My siblings. Though I tend to relate my experiences to Jadaya the most, mainly because she is the oldest and understands what was going on more than the other three would. And if I didn't go through what I did, I couldn't help her or them in the ways that I can since I did. So, was it just a coincidence that I have a similar past compared to my new little siblings? Or was there a reason?

Are you following me?

My thought, is God has a reason for everything that happens in your life. And there is a time when it will happen, or be used for the glory of God.  Romans 8:28 says, "and we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Everything we go through, everything that we come upon in life, everything has a purpose, a reason, a season, a meaning, a lesson. And there is a certain time God will unveil each of these.

Ecclesiastes 3:1

  To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven..."

I encourage you to read Ecclesiastes chapter 3. 

Piggybacking off my last post, there will be a time for my happily ever after, with the guy God has for me. Whether I know him yet or not is a mute point and something I no longer feel the need to worry about because everything that has happened in my life to this point has a reason behind it. And, I know that there is a time to love (Ecc. 3:8) and that my time will come when God says it will come. Until then, for whatever the reason may be, I will wait and be his hands and feet. And when life gives me a coincidence, I will pray and search for God's reason behind it, because whatever it is...will be a blessing or give the glory to God.

Blessings.

"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous."--Albert Einstein 

Happily ever after...

Where is my Happily ever after?

I recently started reading again. I am a book lover, a hopeless romantic, a person who falls in love with a great story, with an even better happily ever after...

Well, the book I picked up (and highly recommend for single ladies), is called The Chase: Trusting God with Your Happily Ever After. Within reading the first chapter, I knew I didn't stumble upon this book by accident, and well...after that, I hid from it...Avoided reading it, until tonight. Until tonight because I felt alone and I wanted that certain someone to talk to, to laugh with, just to be around. Then I remember the post my mother put on my Facebook, nothing spectacular, but simple, all it was was the picture at the beginning of this post. A picture that states: " just because something isn't happening for you right now, doesn't mean that it will never happen."

When I first read that post, I just brushed it off.. then I actually started thinking about how much I actually thought about my happily ever after. And I'm sure that I'm not the only single lady that thinks of this. That is that hopeless romantic. 

But after realizing that I thought about that so frequently, I decided to focus my thoughts else where...digging into the Word, and reading the book that I was talking about earlier.

See, the book, at the end of the first chapter asks a question...Who  or what are you chasing? is it God?  and I wish I could say, I answered God as soon as I read that question, but I didn't... I was too busy chasing MY happily ever after. MY plan for MY life. I was chasing MY goal on graduating by June (which I still believe will happen), but I was also chasing MY "perfect" guy (or the potential guys that could be him), I was chasing MY perfect life. And my life was crumbling at the seems...But no one really knew that. except for myself...  I was being a hearer of the Word and not a doer (James 1:22). I wasn't giving God my 110%, my ALL that he deserves. During that time I made mistakes, but looking back now, knowing I shouldn't have acted in the ways that I did, only makes me want to cry out to God more. Only makes me want to CHASE him and only him. Only makes me want to reach out to those that are walking in the shoes that I have been in, any of the shoes I have been in (which are more than I care to have been in). Only makes me want to help anyone and everyone in need. Only makes me want to show everyone the love of Christ. Only makes me want to WANT Christ more than anything and everything in my life. Because He has been chasing me since day 1. since September 26, 1991...and even before!  The first chapter of the book ends with this..." Keep chasing after Him, and you'll see..." I will see that God's plans for me are way more than I could ever imagine. I just have to trust him. Psalms 3:5-6..

I will end with this....

What are you chasing? Is it God? or is it YOUR happily ever after instead of his?

Chase him and you won't regret it. Chase him and be ready to be amazed. Chase him and never be disappointed. Chase him and you'll find a LOVE like never before. Chase him and get the best ever, HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Blessings.

5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,

“Never will I leave you;

    never will I forsake you.”   

Hebrew:13:5

Wandering Mind...

Have you ever had a night where you don't really know where your mind is? Or you know where it is, just don't know how it got to that point, memory, thought, or wherever it might be?

For myself, my mind tends to wander to the what if's of my life. and believe me... there are a lot of them. I think about what would happen if I didn't make the mistakes I made, or end the relationships and friendships that I have ended. I let my mind wander to the point where I think, if I would had made that decision or done this different, I could be done with school, married, and living the life I want... then it hits me... the life I want, may not be the life God wants for me. Or it might not have been the right time for God's plan to begin.

See, letting my mind wander and get to that what if point, doesn't hurt anyone but me. Because I start thinking of the life I could have if I would have changed one. little. thing. Answered one question a different way. But I didn't. I didn't and God has worked in amazing ways in my life since then. Not that I am being boastful, because I fail him daily, in ways I shouldn't fail him.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says:

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

See, because of his grace, I am strong. I don't have to worry about the what if's in life. Mainly because, HE has it all figured out. As long as we rely and fully trust in him. Because HE is the way, the truth and the light. (John 14:6).

So I may have failed him a lot in my past and even here recently, but HE is mighty in my weakness. HE will turn my MESS into a MESSAGE for someone.

And he can do the same for you and your life...if you will let him. Just start running to him with arms wide open and do not look back. 

What's YOUR purpose?

Sitting in my night class tonight, my senior year of college. All I can think is , "a month and ONE more semester, then I'm done." But how do I know that my "major" is what I'm supposed to do for the rest of my life? How do I know that I'm supposed to sit in Indiana, in some Elementary school, and teach kids. How do I know that is my purpose in life? The reality check, is I don't. I think this is what I am supposed to do, or that I am supposed to teach some how, somewhere, in this world.

But honestly, there are days when I don't know what I am supposed to do with my life. Here's a story...

These past couple months, I have struggled with wondering what I am doing with my life, what I should be doing with my life, and does it matter. Well, the other day the Casting Crowns' song Just be Held came on, and I just broke down into tears because it reminded me that no matter what happens in life, WE do not have the control, or we don't have to that is. Because God is holding us and taking care of us...HE IS IN CONTROL. It doesn't matter if you are in your highest of highs or lowest of lows, God is in control always as long as you give him the reigns. But in that moment that I heard that song, I knew that whatever I was going to end up doing with my life, whatever my purpose is for my life, God knew what is was and was going to get me to wherever it is that I need to be.

For you, whoever you are, and wherever you are.... God can do the same for you. He can give you a purpose for your life, whether you are in your highest of highs or lowest of lows. God can and will take care of you and if you give him the control, you will find your purpose in life, or it will find you.

God Bless you.

Jerimiah 29:11

after I got home from class I opened up my devotion and these pictures are what it said. Coincidence? I think not

What's Past is Past..

Relationships, problems, events, good-times, and bad-times, are all in the past. And we have all heard the saying what's past is past, well, this is true. But what happened to you in your past also is what helped make you who you are today.

Today, as my mom was hosting a bible study, she said something that she had told me many times before but today it stuck in my head... she said something like this, God puts us through trials to get us to a certain point in our lives. or that is the way I interpreted it. and I believe that is true, God has put me through many different trials, but through all of them, I have grown in him, I have became a better person, and I have came to the spot in my life where I am supposed to be.

tonight, I reflect on many questions:
    What all has God brought me through?
    How do I handle the situations God puts in my life?
    Do I show the Love of God in my daily actions?
and more...

So my challenge for you is for you to reflect on those questions... How do you answer them? How will you change to make a better impact?

Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers   -Psalms 1:1

Blessings

Insomnia...Take Advantage of the Quiet

Not able to sleep? You can say it runs in my family, or at least for my dad and I. Not being able to sleep is sometimes a horrible feeling because the next day you are exhausted and do not want to do a thing. However, some nights, not being able to sleep isn't all that bad. See, here lately, with finals and last minute assignments, I haven't been getting into the Word whole-heartily. I haven't been 100% committed to getting into the Word, and I should never allow that to happen. So, this morning, after fighting, trying, and failing to sleep I decided to get up and get into the Word of God.  I decided to study the theme verse for the upcoming Chrysalis, John 3:30.. But I ended up studying and reading John 3:29-36.

See, last year close to this time, I felt that God had told me that I needed to be single for a year, to learn to rely on him and not boyfiends to fill the hole that I've had. Well, in a little under 2 months that year will be up, and this year I have took upon to re-fall in Love with God, has done just that. My God is an AWESOME God. he has showed me so much in the past year that I cannot even attempt to describe, and the best part is He will continue to reveal things to me as I allow him to become greater than me, to become greater than my earthly desires. But in order for that to happen, I have to become less, I have to let go and let God, over EVERY aspect of my life. This year God has revealed so much to me, He has revealed my calling,  and He has showed me that I need to be patient for HIS plan to come and not just go along with what I desire.

My God is an AMAZING God. Any quiet time I get to spend with him and reflect on what he is doing in my life is worth it, no matter the cost. No matter if it means no sleep for Aimee. My GOD will give me the perseverance I need to get me through my tasks for the day!

When God speaks to you, will you be ready to listen, no matter the time?

Blessings.