How having a strong faith in God could be the difference between seeing God's blessings in your life or not.

The passage that Pastor Gene Tanner (Pastor of VNC in Valparaiso, IN) preached on a while back has been taught to me in several different ways over the past few months. Coincidence? I think not. In fact, shortly after I heard someone else speak about that very same passage, relating it to parenting. It became a transforming story for me during that season of life that God kept bringing it to my attention. It is one I can easily relate to, and identify with, on many levels.

Pastor Tanner preached from Numbers 13:1-14:45. This is the story where God told Moses to send 12 spies to the land that God had promised them-- Canaan. After spying for forty days, the spies were to bring back food from the land and suggest the best plan of attack for taking over the land. When they came back to share their report only two spoke out of their faith-- Joshua and Caleb. The other ten spoke out of their fear and their inadequacies because what they saw reminded them of how terribly small they were. If you are not familiar with this story, you might be interested in reading one of my older posts that goes into more depth on the details of how this historical tragedy all went down, before reading this post.

God has used this story multiple times throughout this year to speak to my heart about how I view myself and my circumstances. God used one of Susie Larson's blog posts on this passage, back in November, to show me that there are times in my life when I have to trust God even when my feelings suggest otherwise, and even when those around me suggest otherwise. This would have definitely been one of those times for the Israelite people. My focus at that time was on how we influence each other (for better or worse) by the attitudes we allow ourselves to possess. My application was that we must practice discernment when choosing who we listen to, and we have to be careful knowing that we will influence those around us when we speak out of our disbelief.

Something different stuck out to me the last time I heard this familiar story.
I found myself wondering if the story would have been different if those other ten spies had faith as strong as that of Joshua and Caleb. I felt like God was telling me that we must intentionally create a spiritual discipline of trusting HIM more than our feelings over and over again in the small things, until it becomes second nature to operate out of that faith with the big things. I want you to think on this for a minute because what I am talking about could be the difference between grabbing hold of the blessings that God is trying to place in your life, and stomping away from them in bitterness, while hanging your head in disappointment!!! That is a VERY BIG DEAL! The stakes can be quite high here. We should be careful not to downplay the radical difference having a strong faith makes!!!

When we do not think, speak, and operate out of our faith in the small things, we are creating a bad habit of focusing inward that will leave us feeling significantly inferior. That is going to be the very mindset that will keep us from boldly grabbing hold of the blessings God has for us.

When we step forward in fear, we feel weak and vulnerable. We start with the mindset that we are hopeless and if we're hopeless then what is the point? I am convinced that no feeling is worse than the feeling of being hopeless. I know, because I have been there. Hopelessness is a "cowering in the corner" kind of feeling that keeps us from experiencing the satisfaction of God's blessings in our lives.

Luke 6:45 says, "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks."

You may have heard this children's song sung in your church when you were little:

Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.
Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.
For the father up above, He is listening with love.
Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.

And with Luke 6:45 in mind I say, "Oh, be careful little mind what you think."
Where does your mind seem to go on a regular basis? Or rather, where do you allow your mind to go???
Your mouth is going to give proof of where your mind has been... eventually.
Has God ever placed a blessing before you and you wanted it, but you didn't go after it because you allowed yourself to feel worthless, not good enough, smart enough, big enough, pretty enough, or important enough?? It can be hard to get out of the pit of despair. We find ourselves there when we pull out the shovel and dig up one inferior thought after another. The further we dig the harder it is to pull out of.

Alisha's "You will be blessed by your faith" Progression:

Wherever your mind goes, your heart will soon follow.
************
Whatever you pour your heart into, you will soon give voice to.
*********
The things you allow yourself to say will directly impact the amount of faith you have.
******
Faith in God will give you courage when there are obstacles in your life that could keep you from grabbing hold of God's blessings.
***
When you act out of that courage, God will move and you will be blessed.
-------------------------------
THEREFORE,
We should "...live by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) ...

...and that starts with allowing our minds to dwell on God's strength 

and His endless resources more than we dwell on ourselves and our limited resources, trusting that He is working on our behalf and has our best interests in mind as we pray to him, depend on Him, and lean on His strength.

May God bless you in abundance as you develop your spiritual discipline of thinking, speaking, and acting out of your FAITH in HIM!!!

On a side note:
Isn't it so interesting how we can pull so much from one story in the Bible? We are blessed with RICH wisdom when we dig into the Bible and digest all it has to say to us. While I am sure that there have been thousands of sermons done on this passage all throughout the generations, here are just three that have personally impacted me that I would recommend:

• To hear Pastor Gene Tanner's sermon from this Sunday you may click here.


• To hear Adam Stadtmiller (author of the new book Give Your Kids the Keys) talk about what we can learn as parents from this passage, you may click here.


• To read Susie Larson's wonderfully written blog post on this passage, entitled "Silence Your Unbelief," you may click here.

God's love letter to you.

YOU are loved by your Heavenly Father!
Happy Valentine's Day.

God's Redemptive Work. Part Three

I was reading a blog entry written by Leslie Vernick entitled "Do You Talk to Yourself?" I knew the answer right away because I am really smart like that. ;) In Leslie's post, she points out that the better question is not "DO we talk to ourselves?" but rather, "HOW do we talk to ourselves?" (I knew that too cuz I'm like a frickin' genius over here!) :)

HOW YOU TALK TO YOURSELF MATTERS (but you knew that too, cuz you're like the smartest cookie in the whole batch!)

It is one thing to be set free from sin, and it is quite another to believe you are set free, isn't it? It is one thing to say that I am bigger than my failures, and it is quite another to live a life that exemplifies that belief.

SPECIFIC EXAMPLE

God loves you.

"Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, we know Alisha. You tell us all the time!"

But do you? Cause I tell YOU all the time, because I am really still trying to convince MYSELF! He loves me??? FOR REAL!?! Because I am painfully aware of where I fall on the "loser" scale most days lately so I have to keep coming back to God and let HIM remind me who I am IN HIM.

I'm HIS girl! HIS BELOVED, for crying out loud!

I can choose to stay stuck at "I'm at the bottom of the loser scale" mentality, or I can let out a deep sigh, realize I let myself go there [AGAIN], and turn to God to let HIM tell me who I am... [again].

He offers you (and me) freedom and LOVE. Do you (and I) live like that? Do the words coming out of your (and my) mouth reflect that truth that God loves you (and me) and has forgiven you (and me)? Check out this tiny part from Leslie's entry.

We can only see ourselves truthfully when we place the eyes of our heart on Jesus and not on ourselves and our sins and failures.

Listen to what Paul writes about how God sees us.

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:4-5)

When we focus on Jesus, it’s not that we aren’t aware of our faults and failures, but our attention doesn’t stay on us. Instead it is fixed on the loving, forgiving, and merciful grace of God. Paul’s response to these great truths is, “So we praise God for his glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.“ It is all about Him. This is the gospel, the good news we celebrate and take refuge in.

(She's neat, don't you think?) Are you searching high and low for freedom, purpose, love, attention, etc. and coming up empty? Might it just be that you are looking in the wrong place? The mirror? Facebook? Magazines? TV? A person? Target's candy aisle? :) What? I'm just sayin'. Okay, and let's just be real. Freedom will never be found looking in a mirror, okay?! :) It might not be a bad idea to stop looking at yourself for a while and look to the one who made you and who delights in you.

Stop for a minute. Do you really want freedom? I mean, do you or not?

If you do,

Stop

for

a

m.i..n...u...t....e.

Choose to claim your freedom.

It's yours for the taking.

Might I suggest that you...

Slow your life d o w n.

. . . A l o t. . . .

Let all the other stuff go for a while. Look to the one who loves you unconditionally. Everything is SCREAMING for your attention! God is just whispering. The urgent is DEMANDING your attention while the important is waiting on your attention. The urgent stuff that is demanding for your attention (usually because someone somewhere is going to get money if you pay attention... you know that right?) :) --sometimes you have to make a choice to drop it for a while to tend to the important stuff in your life, right? GOD looks on you with the love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness that you cannot get ANYWHERE else...no strings attached. Do you want that? It's yours for the taking!! Drop everything else. All the baggage you're holding, juggling, balancing, frustratingly trying not to drop. . . it's okay. You can drop it. Lay it at God's feet and rest in HIM. God's REDEMPTIVE and comforting arms are open to you and you may rest in HIM at any time. Let THIS be your time. Let YOUR freedom RING! Right now. Choose to rest in HIM today.

Just a thought. That's all. If you are interested in reading all that Leslie had to say in this topic you may click here.

Okay... AWESOME SONG TIME!

OH! And YOU ARE LOVED!!!

A different approach to finding comfort when you're feeling sad..

This made me smile today.

"When I get sad, I stop being sad and be AWESOME instead. TRUE STORY." :)

GUEST POST: Cindy Bultema encourages us to bring intentional focus to our prayer time through a Prayer Guide.

I had the pleasure of meeting Cindy Bultema at a Speak Up with Confidence Seminar I went to a couple of weeks ago. Her smile and energy are contagious. The name of her blog is She Sparkles, and if you ever meet her you will know that truly she shines like a disco ball in an otherwise dark room! :) Her guest post is packed with GREAT ideas, and very useful (and practical) resources that you can click on, print off, and use yourself. Definitely a worthwhile read!! Enjoy, learn, and be inspired as you read about how she brings intentionality to her prayer life...

One of the things I am most passionate about in my life is PRAYER.

(Unfortunately, this hasn't always been the case. I didn't become a Christian until the age of 26. Finally after years of poor, self destructive choices I gave my life to Jesus in 1996! You can read more about it here.)

My heart for prayer really began to grow in 1999. I was asked to accept a job leading a ministry at my church. I knew that God would have to show up BIG TIME or it would be a huge disaster.

I read every book on prayer I could, studied prayer Bible passages, and most importantly, I began to pray. A lot! I cried out to the Lord, "Teach me how to PRAY!" And you know what?? God answered those prayers (in abundance)...and continues to grow me in my prayer life today! A powerful tool that has really shaped my prayer life is my Prayer Guide.

WHAT IS A PRAYER GUIDE?

The Prayer Guide I use was designed by an amazing ministry called Walking with Him favorite part is that my Prayer Guide may be personalized with photos, prayers and mementos. It has become the story of my walk with God! Here are just a few examples of sections I have in my prayer guide.

A FEW SECTIONS FROM MY PRAYER GUIDE

THANKING GOD
For example, there is a section of the Prayer Guide on Thanking God. This part of my journal is filled with things I am grateful for (a picture of me getting baptized in 1999, family & friend pics, etc..). I also fill the pages with answers to prayers.

In the picture below you can see the SOLD sign when our house sold - in less than 2 months! - and lots of post-it notes of answered prayers. It is a perfect visual reminder of how good God is and His faithfulness in answering prayer!

PERSONAL PRAYERS/ INTERCESSORY PRAYERS

I also have a whole section of my Prayer Guide where I pray for myself and others. The pages are filled with photos of family and friends (this is where I put the pictures I receive at Christmas). I usually sit with a stack of index cards and/or post-it notes, and pray specifically for others (and then slide the index card behind their picture). If a friend sends an e-mail and asks me to pray for something, I print it off, pray, and then slide it behind the picture.

MY FAMILY

This picture below shows my page for John. On the left I have a download of 31 Days of Praying for Your Husband. On the right are pics of me and John, and then post-it notes with specific prayers. (Can you see the top right post-it note?? It has prayers from my little Sarah. She loves to sit with me as I go through my Prayer Guide and help me pray for all of our family and friends! :))

Another example below. These are the pages I pray for my kids. I love being able to look at their precious faces as I pray for them! One resource I use when praying for my kids is 31 Biblical Virtues. You can see more prayers below from Sarah. Praying that her sister would be nice :)

PEOPLE WHO HAVE YET TO BE SAVED.

I also have a section where I pray specifically for family/friends/acquaintances who do not know Jesus. What a blessing to watch God work in their lives ~ and then be able to move their picture from the "Far from God" section to the "Thank God" section when they come to know Jesus as their Savior!! Praise the Lord!! :)

OKAY, NOW IT'S YOUR TURN...

I could go on and on...but it is easier to understand when you try the Prayer Guide yourself. Go ahead and give it a try. You just might love it!! :)

About the Author: Cindy Bultema lives in West Michigan with her husband John and their children Jake, Benjamin, Amanda and Sarah. Her number one ministry is that of wife and mom. She is also a writer, speaker, blogger and former Director of Children’s Ministries at a Grand Rapids area mega-church. You can find out more about Cindy Bultema at her blog, She Sparkles!

How building your vocabulary allows others to see the beauty they possess

A little bit ago I wrote about how building your vocabulary can increase your beauty.

Today I would like to take that thought one step further.
There is a word for when we develop a habit of bringing out the beauty in those around us and building them up, through the words we choose to speak about them. The Bible calls this edification.

Romans 14:19 says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification." NIV

How do you choose to talk about the people in your life? Chances are good that if you are consistently beating yourself up for the ways you do not measure up then you will naturally do the same for anyone around you. Give yourself grace, and then offer it to those around you.

Colossians 3:13 says, "Make allowance for each others faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." (New Living Translation)

I was listening to Author and Speaker, Kendra Smiley, on Faith Talk Radio today. In her interview she blatantly said, "We're all annoying! You have to allow other people to have 3 glaring faults...Someone is making accommodations for you, so you need give them the same grace. "

She referred to Ephesians 4:2, which says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."

Paul says it this way, in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."


A word to Teens...
Are you in need of a good friend? Be a friend. ;) Seriously. Try it. It works.

A word to Wives...
Wives, do you want to see good things in your man? Start acknowledging the good that is already in him, and find ways to address the less-than-pleasant characteristics in a way that does not belittle him or tear him down. Always be on the hunt for the good in him, and be deliberate in lavishing it on him if you are not already in the habit of doing so. Build up the vocabulary you choose to use to describe your husband.

Instead of saying, "lazy, careless, shy, stupid, annoying" or "only cares about football and beer" choose to use words like, "hard-working, bread winner, handsome, charming, funny, reserved" and "took time to eat lunch with the family today". :) Take some time to come up with words that express the good he is doing on your behalf and on behalf of his family, and the potential that lies within him. Remind him of some of the things he has done in the past that were great, just for fun. Boost his ego on a day when you can tell he could use a little ego boosting. If you are really struggling to come up with anything, read some Father's Day and Anniversary cards for ideas. There is bound to be one that fits your man. ;)

If this is still hard for you to do, start praying for him every day until you have eyes to see him more and more the way God sees him. God is crazy about him, and has created him just the way he is for specific purposes. Help him to see that, through the way you speak about him, and encourage him to seek God's purposes in His life. If there are issues in his life that need addressing, pray for him and seek God's leading in dealing with those issues, but never present them in a public forum, without his consent. Respect your man. Tackle the issues you have with him in your own home, between the two of you, or with a counselor or good friend(s) you can trust.

I was google-ing to find a site for teens to go to that gives them a spiritual punch in the arm. ;) I ran into this one and thought it looked neat.

Teen Daily Devotional Ministries

http://www.tddm.org/

Hope this helps someone.

How to be a friend who can be trusted.

Are you someone others can trust?

How can you tell if you are or not?


Here are just a couple of questions to get you thinking...


How do people come to you?

Reluctant, or open? 


How do people leave after talking to you?

Worried or Encouraged?


What is your goal when asking questions?

To help the person you are talking to or to help yourself? 


What is the first thing you do after someone opens up to you?

Blast it out on your social media of choice or take it to the Lord in prayer?

(ahem...careful with this one)


What do you do with the information you are given?

Draw conclusions about that person based on the little knowledge you have or do you trust that there is more to the circumstance than you know anything about and give it over to the Lord?

A handful of habits of a trustworthy person: 

1. Listen with your eyes and your ears.

2. Care about what your friend is trying to communicate to you.

3. Encourage your friend if he/she is seeking it.

4. Build a reputation of being someone who can be trusted to acknowledge the wishes of those you are talking to, while caring enough about them to tell the truth in love, when necessary. Don't gossip.

5. Be a person of integrity in your everyday life. When you set out to do things, do them correctly and with good moral discernment. People will see that they can trust with you with little things and will be more likely to trust you with big things. This principle applies with God as well. Prove yourself faithful and trustworthy with the little things and one day you will be rewarded with the big things. Read the following verse.

"Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much."
Luke 16:10

In an effort to be concise, here are a few other verses that shoot straight to the heart of this issue...

"A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death than the day of birth." Ecclesiastes 7:1

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." Exodus 20:16

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant." 1 Corinthians 13:4

"To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved."
- George MacDonald

Another strange dream I had.

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).

I woke up the other day with a very vivid dream still fresh on my mind...

MY DREAM.

I was in a mansion, with high ceilings and beautiful furniture. There were tons of people roaming and hanging out throughout the entire house. It felt like an open house, sort of. Everyone was excited and having a great time.

As I was going up the winding staircase I saw an alligator crawling into a room. Immediately I knew that I had made the arrangements to have this alligator delivered to this house. I was nervous. I went into the room and saw that it went under the bed. I looked around. Everyone acted like they didn't see it go in there, so I stood in the room trying to think of how I could get the thing out. I was racking my brain trying to decide how I was going to apologize to the person who owned the house. I felt a huge sense of guilt. I was stuck. On the one hand, asking him to forgive me for something so ridiculous would be embarrassing. On the other hand, I knew there was no way I could get this alligator out of the house by myself, so I was going to have to say something.

As I approached the owner to tell him what I had done, a large truck pulled up to the curb outside of the house. A few strong men came out of the truck and got the alligator out of the house with no trouble at all, like they were used to doing this sort of thing. We were just one more stop on their route or stops. I was shocked. I watched as the owner of the house turned to a young person and made it clear that HE was the one who orchestrated the plan for the alligator being in the house and he would have to leave the house. Everyone seemed relieved to have that person leave the house, because in the owner's explanation we all learned that this person was actually plotting all along to ruin the party by bringing in these alligators.

In the dream, I knew it was true. I felt a huge sense of relief in knowing that the burden I was carrying was not mine to carry. It was not my fault and with that, I could go on having a great time with everyone in the house.

Then I woke up.

The problem, as I see it.
Strange, right? Random, stupid dream right? :) Or is it? I've been thinking a lot about sin lately... the consequences of sin, and how being tempted is part of being human...that kind of stuff. Sometimes we let our guard down and in our weakness we entertain a bad thought, or allow ourselves to sin. We carry the shame and the guilt from doing what we know is wrong. We determine we are defined by our sin, and we operate out of the mentality that we are no good and should be ashamed of ourselves. We make future compromises because we feel we are "less than" and we deserve to be "less than". We take on any blame for our actions. Over time it is hard for us to tell where Satan ends and we begin. We don't recognize who we are anymore. It's hard for us to know where to even start if we were going to ask for forgiveness. There's so much wrong.

Here's what I am thinking.
At any time the process can be halted, and corrected, and you can be made new. Take the blame off of yourself for a second. God is all-knowing. He sees your world and the spiritual realms that you can't see. He offers grace and forgiveness when you ask for it. He's aware of where you have fallen short of His glory. He knows where Satan brought you down, and He doesn't want you to stay stuck there. Your identity is NOT wrapped up in your sin. Your identity is found in how God sees you. He gently woes you back because He loves you and wants you back, and because He knows it is in your best interest. When you come to God, asking for forgiveness He immediately offers you forgiveness and then directs the attention away from you. "Satan, you're not welcome here. You must leave." FREEDOM! You can let down your baggage. There is no condemnation in Christ. He loves you and is in the business of protecting you and bringing you to a new way of living when you ask for it. He makes all things new.

Live your life worthy of your calling.
God has more for you. Stop taking blame for the alligator in the house. Has anyone ever tried to hold you to you to your past, and not let it go? You are NOT only as great as your worst sin. That is what Satan wants you to believe. Seek God, be made new, and enjoy the party. He has BIG things in store for you when you are willing to lay down your burdens at His feet. He loves you and you can trust Him with your everything. :)

Being transformed into someone who says, "God is God". Part Two.

This is a continuation from the post before it: Being transformed into someone who Says, "God is God". Part One.

After I was done with my Oprah phase, I upgraded to Dr. Phil. Scott would come home and I was be quoting Dr. Phil. "Well, you know what Dr. Phil would say..." Again, my husband's eyes would glaze over. :) My husband would kindly listen while I carried on, but he really did not put a lot of weight into what Oprah or Dr. Phil thought about things. He is a smart guy.

Now, I quote Susie Larson. He pays attention when I talk about Susie Larson. His eyes don't roll to the back of his head when I quote Susie Larson. Do you know why? He has learned from the past that the things I quote from Susie Larson are biblical and sound. We have learned to trust Susie as someone who carries God's word in lives. She has become a spiritual mentor to me and my husband respects that.

Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

Yesterday I (re)listened to one of Susie Larson's interviews that I had listened to months ago. "HOLY COW! THAT is where I learned that!" Over and over and over again, throughout the interview, I realized that my thinking had really been changed a lot by that one particular interview I had chosen to listen months ago. I remembered the first time I heard it. I was thinking that all of the information was brand new to me and I was so impressed by the rich wisdom that was being shared. This time, though, I was impressed by something else. I was impressed that I already knew all the information. I was in agreement with everything in the interview. :) It had really sunk in, and REALLY stuck with me! Thank you Lord.

WE have got to be careful who we listen to, don't we? We must listen to everyone with a discerning ear. Be aware of who you are allowing to influence you. You are more susceptible to persuasion than you realize. Surround yourself with people who fear God, so that when you are vulnerable with them you can be steered in a direction that honors God and redirects your focus back onto him.

Go to church, for crying out loud. :) hahaha...I just had to throw that one in there. Seriously, once a week...at least. Go. Get up on Sunday morning and go. Read your Bible, for crying out loud. Be changed by the living word.

How is this message comforting, you ask? Good question. It kind of sounds legalistic. It's not though. This is for your own good! Take comfort in knowing that as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. As you surround yourself with other believers and you make a habit of going to church, and reading your Bible, and listening to songs that inspire your faith, you will be changed for the better! Your spiritual awareness will be sharpened. It will be subtle at times, and you won't even know where you got your information at times. A radical thought will hit you and you'll surprise yourself. You'll say, "Wow! Where did I get that from?" You'll share the thought and other people will say, "Wow! Where did she get that from?" Just do it. You'll see. God's word has been passed down for generations upon generations. It's nothing new, but when it hits you personally it possesses new life again.

Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The more you listen to people who don't know what they are talking about, the more confused you will be. :) That makes sense right? You know what I realized when I started blogging? I realized that I knew more than I thought I knew. I mean, check this out. I start writing and, as I write, a verse pops into my head from my memory. I don't even have to open the Bible to find a verse sometimes now. Sometimes it is just right there in my head! For someone with a terrible memory, (that would be me) this is a very big deal. :) Sometimes, I am writing and I'm reminded of an AWESOME song that really drives home a point that God is trying to tell me. I find the song, and I think to myself, "Wow! I am so glad I already knew that song existed". :) The more you pull from the Bible and from God-fearing people, the more those things shape you into someone who is confident in the Lord so you can boldly say, "God is God".

Okay, it's Sunday morning. Where are you going to go to church today? :)

Being transformed into someone who says "God is God". Part One.

I used to watch Oprah. Later in the day, Scott would come home from work, and I would tell him about my day. "Oprah said, that we should...blah blah blah." His eyes would glaze over. (or roll to the back of his head...not really sure which)

One day I saw an Oprah show about men who were gay and were telling their wives, for the first time after 20 plus years of marriage. After 20 some years, they admitted they were gay and left their wives. I was stunned. The thought had never occurred to me. Instantly, I was paranoid. What if my husband has been lying to me this whole time? I drilled him when he came home from work, and then continued to say things just to see his response. I just didn't want to be thrown off guard 20 years from now, that's all. If some other random guy was gay, then mine might be too!

It's ridiculous, isn't it? We are so easily persuaded by the people we choose to listen to. Unless we are intent on establishing where we stand before a situation presents itself, we can be very easily influenced when decision time comes. This tells me two things.

One. WE gotta know where we stand on some things! Teens, decide what you are going to do before drugs and alcohol ever present themselves. Decide if you are going to have sex before marriage before the opportunity to have sex ever rears its seductive head. Decide you are not going to be someone who lies to his/her parents before you are put in a position where lying to get what you want would be very easy to do. Know who you are. Who I am is someone who is cool without drugs. Who I am is someone who is going to be honest with my parents. These kinds of decisions are easily made before it comes time to make a decision, and much harder to make when they are presented by someone you thought you admired.

Two. WE gotta be careful where we are getting our information. Ask yourself: What does the Bible say on this issue? If you aren't sure, find out. Be careful what you watch and who you listen to.

A message to my precious teenage friends, who are called to great things.

"God does not call me to a career; He calls me to be faithful."

-Theologian David Timms

Be faithful in the little stuff now, so the big stuff will make more sense when you are older. Many young people float around through high school thinking it is all about just getting through school so they can move on with "real life". Don't wait for "real life" to happen. This is it. You are developing your story. Lean into God's plan for you now by being faithful in the little things...friendships, school work, your family life, your part time job if you have one, the money you make, etc. etc. Decide what you will stand for, and what is not worth getting worked up over. (which is very rare for anyone who is young, in my opinion, and many adults for that matter) Devote yourself to developing your natural strengths. God gave them to you for a reason. You are not who you are by mistake. You cannot know now what you will be doing when you are 30, but what you do need to ask yourself now is "what is God calling me to today?" If you spend 18 years thinking, that someday life will just "happen", then guess what? It ain't gonna happen. :) You reap what you sow. Have fun, enjoy your youth, but seek God in all you do. It's in seeking Him that you will find your purpose in life. Trust God with your life. He knows what is best for you, according to His plan for you. If you tap into His plan for you, there are GREAT blessings around your corner.

May the choices that you make today be building blocks that you can stand on in the future, with pride and grace.

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21

P.S. YOU ARE LOVED!!!!!!!! So proud of you!