God's Got a Plan

Isn't it cool how God is always there for us? We can just be like, "Hey, God," and He's there! He hears us! He's ALWAYS there!! We can talk to Him about anything and He'll listen to us. We can ask Him anything. We can ask for anything. And He listens.


He. Hears. YOU.
Now, I said we could ask for anything... but that doesn't mean that God will give us anything we ask for.

A verse I really like is this: "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

What I get out of that is this: We can ask God for anything. We can tell Him anything. We can ask all the questions we want. And God will listen. But that doesn't mean He'll give us whatever we ask for. And I know that can be hard. But that verse tells us that God works for the good of those who love Him! So even when God's answer isn't what we want to hear... HE knows the end result and HE knows what's best! You see, He knows what it is that we need. And He loves us enough to give it to us even when it's not what we want.

It's like when a child wants candy but the thing is, that same child has already had enough to where you know if they have more, they'll be sick. The child doesn't understand why you're saying no. They don't understand that they'll be sick if they have more, so they're unhappy. But when they get older, they understand. They realize that all along, you knew better. They get it.

It's the same with us. We're God's children. He's the Father who's telling us, if we get that thing that we asked for, it won't be good for us. The outcome isn't a part of His plan He specifically designed for you. We might not understand it right now, but in the end, I promise, you'll look back and see that this was the better plan all along. That is was better than anything you could ever have came up with on your own. God knows what He's doing. We just have to let go and trust.

It can be hard at times. But we have to remind ourselves that God knows our path in life and it's amazing. It's unique. And you're gonna love it. But it all starts with trust.

I can think up the life I want; play by play. I could give you the details of how I'd like to spend my time on earth. I can tell you my dream life. But I also know that if it's not what God has in mind for me, I won't find happiness. It won't actually be my dream life. Even though it looks perfect in my head, God knows the future. HE knows what's best. And even though I know it'll be hard at times, I'm willing to let it go and trust God. I'll follow Him through life and go where He leads me. Will it include my "dream life"? Maybe. I'm not sure. I can't see the future. But because I know God can and because I know He loves me so much, I can trust Him. I can trust Him to lead me and I can be content being the follower.

He's my creator. He's the King. He's the creator of the world. He's the one who died to save me. He performed miracles. He was raised from the dead. He prepared a perfect place for those who love Him, to go one day. I can't think of anyone else I'd rather entrust my life to. There's no one else I'd rather follow.



"Commit your ways to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him, do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret- it leads only to evil. For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land." Psalm 37:5-9

Godly Sorrow

Hey lovely people!

I was reading this verse in 2 Corinthians 7:10 the other day. It says, "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death."

I thought that was interesting. I read it a few times, trying to wrap my mind around it but it turned out to be pretty simple. Here's what I got out of it:

sorrow: a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune suffered by oneself or others.

So what is worldly sorrow? Well, I think it's being sad or disappointed about something that doesn't really matter: someone didn't do exactly what you wanted them to so now you're mad at them, your favorite shirt has a hole in it (fun fact: this happened to be just the other day :( ), your sibling is being really annoying, you have a chore to do that you don't feel up to, your plans for the evening didn't work out, that guy you like didn't ask you out, you didn't make that team, you didn't get that job... the list goes on and on and on! Get the picture?

God doesn't want us to focus on the petty disappointments in life. Sure, you thought that job was your future and you got rejected. You thought that guy was the man of your dreams. It didn't work out. You planned on going out for a night with friends but your car won't start. Guess what? It wasn't God's plan. So don't waste your time wallowing in self-pity.

Recognize the fact that it wasn't meant to be and move on.
 
We need to spend our limited time thinking about things more meaningful than the small disappointments in life. Trust me, there will be plenty of those and we don't have time to stress about each one.

But read that verse again. It talks about godly sorrows. Big difference from worldly sorrows.

Godly sorrows consists of things that would bring sorrow to God: someone who's not a Christian or is falling away from God, injustices (human trafficking, abortion, etc.), someone who's not content with the gender that God created them to be, orphans, widows... this list could go on too. God wants us to spend our sorrow on these issues; praying and doing what we can to help.

I know it can be hard, but I also know that if it doesn't make God sad, I don't want to waste my time crying over it. But, we are human. I'm not saying we won't have days where we can't help being disappointed in something. I'm saying that we need to ask ourselves, "Is this really worth spending my time on? Is this really worth getting upset about?" And sometimes, the answer might be no but we still cry about it; we are still disappointed. But I hope that we'll get over it; that we can move on, knowing that God is in control and that it wasn't meant to be.

Rememeber, God's plan is the best plan. And He's got a path designed specifically for you! So, the next time you're disappointed, the next time something doesn't go your way, try letting it go and thanking God that it didn't happen. Something I like to do is say, "Well at least this (something much worse) didn't happen!" And I gotta say it helps! If not only just to lighten the mood. :P

Remind yourself that God's got this.
 
Because He absolutely does!

Let's focus our disappointments on godly sorrows. We'll have a much more fruitful and fulfilling life if we do.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans." Proverbs 16:3

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." Proverbs 16:9

Expectation vs. Reality

 Picture this: You wake up in the morning feeling refreshed from your night of beauty sleep, you hop out of bed and glance in the mirror; you smile at what you see. You grab an outfit, throw it on, workout, and eat a healthy, filling breakfast before heading out to start your perfect day.

 Sounds nice doesn't it? But you know as well as I do that the "perfect day" doesn't exist. We wake up to our alarm and want to go back to sleep, we have to drag ourselves out of bed and try on a million different outfits before finally deciding on one (ok maybe not everyone tries on a million... ;) ). Workout?? What's that?? Healthy breakfast? You mean the bowl of cereal or granola bar I grabbed on my way out the door?

 Weather it's spilling your coffee, lost keys, a dead car, traffic, annoying co-workers or boss, a fight with a friend or sibling, etc. we all have bad days. We all have struggles. None of us have a "perfect day". Yes, we have good days, we might even have really good days, but we all have bad days. We can try to act like our life is totally put together and perfect but we all know it's not. So you know what the best thing to do is?

Embrace it.

 That's right. Let the real you show. The imperfect, messy, sad, angry, clothes-stained YOU. Let the imperfections show as well as the good. The happy, laughing, pretty, kind, successful, YOU.

 God gave us the good days as well as the bad! And we need to embrace them. I'm not saying it'll be easy, but it will be worth it in the end. I promise you!

 If we never had bad days we wouldn't know how to appreciate the good! If all we had were good days, we'd be used to it and not know any different. We wouldn't appreciate having a good day. We wouldn't be thankful for the good!

 God uses the bad days to teach us things. We might not realize it, but He does! It might just be to remind us to appreciate the good days, or it might be something different! He is using you. And in order to get from point A to point B, we have to have some bad days. It's a part of life.

 We've got to learn to push through, trusting in God as we do so. His plan is the best, even though we may not be able to see it at the moment, one day we'll look back and say, "That's why!"

 We have hope for a better tommorrow, as long as Jesus is a part of it! We can cling to this hope every. single. day. Because Jesus will never leave us. He's with us on the good days and He's with us on the bad days. Always. Never forget that.

 Maybe you're having a bad day, maybe you're having a good day, maybe you're having an "eh" kind of day. Whatever it is, make sure you thank God that you're alive, that He's given you this day to use for His glory, that He is with you, and that He's always been with you and always will.

 Don't forget to remember the little things like just being alive in this moment. It sounds like such a small thing but God has given you LIFE RIGHT NOW!! You're breathing BECAUSE OF HIM!! Every day, thank Him for that! Even if you're having a bad day, remember that better days are coming, that there's a reason for your struggle and, with God's help, you CAN overcome it!

 Jesus loves YOU!!

"Never regret a day in your life: good days give happiness, bad days give experience, worst days give lessons, and best days give memories." -Unknown

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble." Psalm 59:16

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

Unplanned: Movie Review

Hello friends! I'm back and feeling refreshed! I hope your week is going great!

First of all I want to say that this movie is a MUST SEE! I know it's hard to watch and I know it's rated R... BUT I truly believe it is something people NEED to see!
I read about Unplanned on Plugged In and you can too here: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/unplanned-2019 .


After reading the review I was a little nervous to watch the movie. The review was definitely thorough. I learned a few things I didn't even know about abortion just by reading the review and let me tell you I was sickened and sad. How can people be so blind to the fact that they're killing babies? Which brings me to the next thing.

Yes, it's rated R. And I know that's a problem for a lot people. BUT! There is a reason. This movie is about abortion. It's about killing babies. That is something for a mature audience. I tend to think that if a movie is rated PG 13, some parents think it's perfectly fine for their little children to watch. If you look at some movies that are rated PG 13, for example, the Marvel movies, I think someone younger than thirteen could watch some of them. I mean there's violence but it's all fake; it's made up. However, I do think caution should be used but I won't get into that now.

The difference is that Unplanned is a REAL story. It's reality! It's the awful truth.

Unplanned is not your typical R rated movie to be sure. But I truly believe it deserved an R rating, even if it is to show people just how TERRIBLE abortion is.

For example, at one point in the movie we see the ultrasound screen during an abortion. We see a baby on that screen and watch as the abortion is performed and the baby is sucked out limb by limb. Awful. Gruesome. Sickening. Horrible. Heart wrenching. How many other words could I come up with? It made me want to jump out of my seat and scream at that doctor. To stop this dreadful act of murder. To end abortion forever. But I couldn't. It was only a movie... but you know what? It's NOT only a movie. It's REALITY! It's the terrible truth of the world we live in! This movie is based off the TRUE story of Abby Johnson. And that scene right there is the main reason I believe it deserved an R rating. We need to realize just how violent and awful abortion is! We need to realize it in a way that will make us get up and DO something about it! How would you like it if you had been aborted? How would you like it if someone ripped you apart limb by limb? Not a pretty picture is it? THAT'S why it's rated R.

This movie also shows us the different forms of protesting. The violent and mean protestors who shout terrible things at the women going into the clinic and then there's the others. The ones who stand quietly and pray, who kindly try to befriend the girls going into the clinic. And THAT is what helped Abby. THAT is what helped other girls and saved so many babies. Prayer. Kindness. Friendliness. If all people did was tell us what we're doing wrong... how would we like it? I can tell you for a fact we wouldn't. Kindness is how we make friends. And friendship is how we build a trust strong enough with someone to help them through a situation like abortion. To kindly tell them what God thinks about it and how they shouldn't go through with it. Prayer is so powerful and it is how we should deal with these things.

Now, I've always believed that abortion is wrong. But this movie made my belief even stronger. Now that I know more about it, now that I know details, it has inspired me so much to stand up against abortion and END IT forever!

All throughout history we can read about people who took a stand against injustices. One example that immediately comes to my mind is the Civil War. People stood up against slavery because they knew it was wrong! They disobeyed the law and became a part of the Underground Railroad, hiding slaves and helping them escape because they knew it was the right thing to do! Well guess what? WE are called to do the same thing TODAY! To stand up for what we believe in! To take a stand against the injustices of the world today! It is no different for us than it was for people in the past. They had to decide for themselves what side they were on and we have to decide too!

So would I recommend this movie? Absolutely! I think everyone needs to see it. Even if you think abortion is okay, please go watch this movie. What harm could it do to watch it?

And for the ones who are against abortion, will you take a stand? Will you raise the voice God has given you to help these babies who can't speak for themselves? The choice is yours.

"For You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

Jesus has a plan for each baby before they are even born! And each one that has been aborted didn't get the chance to live the life God had planned for them. Let's change that!

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." "'As soon as the sounds of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy." Luke 1:41 and 44

Need I say anything? The baby leaped in her womb! The baby was a... baby! Even before he was born!

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." Proverbs 31:8

God is calling us to speak up for those babies!

"I, even I, am He who blots out transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25

God will forgive you if you have had an abortion. He loves you so much and He wants you to repent and live your life for Him!

How are you going to help end abortion?

　

"I've noticed that everyone who is for abortion has already been born." Ronald Reagan

Let's Laugh

Laugh

1 a: to show emotion (such as joy) with a chuckle or explosive vocal sound

b: to find amusement or pleasure in something

c: to become amused

2 a: to produce the sound or appearance of laughter

b: to be a kind that inspires joy

　

Happy National Let's Laugh Day! Look at that definition again. Notice 2b in particular: To be a kind that inspires joy. I just love that. Don't you want to be someone who inspires joy to those around you? I mean, think for a minute. How would you like it if you inspired sadness, anger, or anxiety in those around you? I, for one, wouldn't like it. My sister makes fun of me (in a good way ;)) for trying to find the positive in every situation... and I mean every situation! But I'm just trying to bring out the positive so we can move on with joy and not any other negative emotion. Now, don't get me wrong. I have my bad days. But if we try to find the joy in everything, even the smallest little problem we have, we'll probably be living a happier life!

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance." James 1:2-3

Don't take my word for it though. You see, even the Bible tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials.

What is something you are struggling with? Think for a minute. Okay. Now, think of something positive about your situation. It might just be, "I know God has something good in mind" or it might be, "At least it's not _________ (something worse)". Either way, I know there is a positive to whatever you're going through because God has our best interests in mind. Even though it might not seem like it at the time, I promise He has something wonderful in store for you. It might not be what you expect or what you think you want, but it will be what's best for you in the end.

"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you." Isaiah 41:13

Read the story about Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42. Jesus tells Martha that only one thing is needed. We need Jesus. If we have Him, we have everything.

"'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed- or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:41-42

Stop worrying and look to Jesus instead. This is what He wants you to do. He wants you to talk to Him, to tell Him about the bad things as well as the good. He wants you to be full of joy.

"'As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.'" John 15:9-11

"The prospect of the righteous is joy, but the hopes of the wicked come to nothing." Proverbs 10:28

Joy. Remember that word. God wants us to have joy. He wants our joy to be complete. Next time you feel sad, remember that. God wants you to be filled with joy.

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22

Be cheerful. Find the positive. And make someone laugh today, since it is National Let's Laugh Day!

　

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25

Speak Up!

Why do we, as Christians, not talk about Jesus every second of every day?? I've thought about this many times and wondered if I'm doing something wrong. Shouldn't I be converting all the sinners out there to Christianity? Doesn't God say in His Word to go and make disciples of all nations? But the more I think about it the harder it seems... the more impossible it sounds.

I do think we should live our lives so that if someone just glances at us they know. "Oh, there's one of those Christians." But how do we do that? How do we live our lives in such a way? I by no means have it figured out but the Bible does!

As a young child my favorite show was Dora the Explorer. And if you've ever watched it then you probably know a question she asks in almost every episode. "Who do we ask for help when we don't know which way to go?" And I'll always answer her back (yes, still to this day if I'm in a room where it's playing), "Map!" And Map will tell Dora where to go. Well, it's the same way with our Christian walk. No, we don't ask Map... we ask God! We consult Him in prayer and through the Bible; His Word, asking for direction.

In 1 Peter 3:15 it says, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"

I love this verse but it has worried me many times that someone will come up to me and ask me a question about my faith and I won't know how to answer. BUT there is something that can be done about that! It is our job to study our Bible so that when we get asked questions we will know how to answer. We can also pray for guidance and God will help us know what to say. Allow His voice to speak through you.

"Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage- with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." 2 Timothy 4:2-5

Right there. Paul says it. He says to be prepared and to preach the Word. Now is the time Paul is talking about. People don't want to listen. They go to the false teachers who tell them what they want to hear: That abortion isn't murder, that homosexuality is okay, that we don't need to live our lives for Christ, we can do whatever we want and when we die or when Christ returns, we'll still go to heaven. This goes AGAINST what the Bible says! But people want to hear that they can live their life however they want and still get the reward of living with Jesus, so they flock to the false teachers and are deceived.

It is our job to speak up! It is our job to tell the truth! We must study the Bible so that we know what to say and how to say it. Paul said in that scripture that we should do the work of an evangelist. The definition of an envangelist is this: A person who seeks to convert others to the Christian faith. That is exactly what we should be doing. Don't be worried or ashamed that a certain "friend" of yours will laugh at you for talking about Jesus. That is being ashamed of the gospel.

Jesus says in Luke 9:26: "Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

Wow. I definitely don't want Jesus to be ashamed of me! I would rather everyone make fun of me for sharing the good news of Christ rather than Jesus say that He is ashamed of me.

"So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me His prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." 2 Timothy 1:8

Paul suffered so much for the sake of Christ. Yet, he is telling us to join him in his suffering! Paul knew that the suffering was worth it. He knew that God was on his side and would never leave him. He knew that his reward waited for him in heaven if he followed God; even if it meant suffering while on this earth. So, do not be ashamed because in the end, it will be oh, so worth it.

"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Ephesians 2:10

This doesn't mean that in order to get to heaven we must do good works. Nope! That would be a works-based faith and that is not what the Bible teaches. Right before that verse it says in verses eight and nine: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast."

We are saved by grace, through faith. And good works are a result of that faith. God has prepared a path for your life and He does want us to share His gospel. But we must be saved by grace through faith first. And as a result, God will show us what He wants us to do. His plan for you life is the best plan. Follow Him and you'll be on the right track.

Different people are called to do different things. Some are called to serve right where they are, others, to move a little farther away to serve, and still others, to travel to other countries and share the good news. We are all unique and that is part of God's plan. It's like a puzzle and each of us are a piece. But for all the pieces to fit together, we each have to do our part and be where we belong; where God has placed us or where He calls us.

"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation." Mark 16:15

Travel Diary: Entry 1

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 2019

Dear Travel Diary,
  I just got home from South Carolina!  It was my first time in that state and it was so much fun!  Let me explain why I went:
  So my dad works for a company that restores water slides.  The owner of the company is my best friend's dad... and basically their whole family is really close to my family.  So... since this job requires quite a bit of traveling, between our two families we've went on quite a few trips; some together! 
  This time, most of the owner's family (they have twelve kids.  Yes... twelve) were in Florida headed to South Carolina next.  Their oldest daughter was planning on driving down there to meet up with them for a week and then they would all drive back together.  They had already been gone for about four weeks so I was really missing them.  When I was asked if I wanted to come along for the week I, of course, said yes!  I went to Michigan with them this past summer and it was a blast so I knew South Carolina would be fun too. 
  So, bright and early Saturday morning we left and drove to South Carolina.  We would be staying at Ocean Lakes Family Campground in Myrtle Beach where the crew was working on the water slides.

The camp had these three crosses set up right in front of the beach and I thought they were so neat!

  I packed for warm weather but most of the week it was cloudy, foggy, or just not very warm at all.  Well, I guess I should say it wasn't hot.  It was nice weather but I definitely didn't have any use for my swimsuit that I had packed!  But... it was definitely a lot warmer than Missouri so that was a plus!  AND... our house had a great view of the ocean!  We got up early twice to watch the sunrise.  It was absolutely beautiful one morning and the other it was really foggy.  But I thought the foggy morning was pretty too.  Something about not being able to see into that cloudy mist and thinking that we were basically surrounded by a cloud is pretty cool. 

The "non foggy" morning ♥

  We walked on the beach many times and I got my feet wet a couple times (once by accident).  It was definitely way too cold to go swimming! 
  We went to the Nature Center at the camp and got our own private tour because no one else was there.  Since it was the middle of the week and in winter no one but old people were there at the time.  At the Nature Center we got to pet an alligator (a small one, don't worry) and see lots of other cool animals, including a little turtle that kept staring at me! 

  We went to the Arcade twice and, while I'm not one to get super into arcades, it was pretty fun!  Especially because, the first time, no one else was there except us!  We had the whole thing to ourselves!

  On Valentine's Day us girls dressed in pink or red and went to the beach to take some pictures.  You gotta document the trip right??

  I just love road trips... especially one to a new place.  I can now cross South Carolina off of the list of states I've been to.  Thank you Cooper's for including me in your trip!  It was a fun week! 
-Abbi

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." -Saint Augustine

"For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up
in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Psalm 91:11-12

A beautiful sunset in South Carolina