We’re able to make our own decisions. We’re able to make our own mistakes. We’re able to make our own tread marks on the path through our life, as rugged and zigzagged they may be. Through making that path, we can influence others whether it be positively or negatively, we can make a small mark (or a big one for that matter) in changing something in the world. We have all this power. It’s there for us to take over, it’s there for us to grasp and make something of it. But sometimes that power can get to our heads. Sometimes that power can change us into someone we never thought we would be. Sometimes that power is used in a negative way and draws us away from a multitude of things.
When you have power, it feels like you have ultimate control. When you have power, you feel like nothing in the world can triumph over you. You get high on it. Completely high off of the power. But guess what? When that gets to your head, you’re the least in control. There’s a dark power making you believe you are invincible. That dark power is manipulative. It knows your weakest spots; it knows your darkest secrets. And once that dark power comes into your life and gets into your head, He is hard to get rid of. He confuses your right and wrong; He confuses your love and lust; He confuses every part of you.
You see Him in time. The first time you have that encounter, it’s like you never want to experience anything like it again. The first time you think about it after it happens it’s as if it’s unreal. You think you imagined it, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Whereas there’s a voice in your head saying that it’s all in your head and that something like that could never happen, there’s a smaller voice that pulls you in saying that it happened and something needs to change in your life.
“I will not bow,
I will not break,
I will shut the world away;
I will not fall,
I will not fake,
I will take your breath away.”
It takes a strong power, willpower, to overcome darkness. You’re scared shitless. You feel weak when you’re alone. You feel as if you’re never protected. You may even get to the point where seclusion and shutting yourself out of everything is the only option. Today, people like to reach out to others. For some, that reaching out is something that’s difficult to accept. You may feel like you are your own person; that you have the POWER to change yourself; that you have the POWER to help yourself with whatever may be happening.
In reality, you not taking that open hand is only letting the dark power win. It’s giving Him an opportunity to pull you in even more. It’s giving Him the opportunity to drag you away from any positive influence in your life. It’s giving Him an easier chance to change you and make you into someone HE wants you to be. That power which you think is yours really isn’t. All the negativity isn’t you. Somewhere deep down, you know it’s true.
One day you'll recognize what a true, positive, power is. You’re drawn in. You’ve been handed another opportunity for change. An opportunity for the Devil to hand the power He once had over you to God. An open hand.
It was always there, you remember. It was that little voice. It was that first thought of the want to change. You’re intrigued by the new power over you. Although you may fall at times, you know that you’re stronger now. Not powerful, but stronger.
“I will not bow,
I will not break..
I will take your breath away,
And I’ll survive.”
Realize, overcome, and grow into that stronger, less powerful person you’ve always aimed to be. Strength and power are completely different. It’s all up to you to distinguish them from each other.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Belief in Faith; Belief Through Church
Church is more than just a building and it’s more than just a community of people. Church is a something, somewhere where we have the opportunity to grow in our faith and relationship with God. Church presents the perfect chance to listen to His word, decipher His message to you, and put your entire self into creating a deeper connection with God. Faith is the most important part of the Church. Someone once told me, “Your faith should be like your shield. Faith protects because Jesus protects.” Everyone needs something solid to believe in. Whether or not it is seen is beyond the point. However, Church can be that one solid something in your life that you believe in; what it presents is something solid you can believe in.
The most important part of the Church is the Body of Christ, the Eucharist. It’s JESUS. It is HIS body given to YOU. We are kyriake, nothing less. Kirche is a German word derived from the Greek word, “kyriake”. We are called out to worship Him, listen to Him in an assembly of those who believe: ekklesia. We belong to God; we are the People of God. Jesus suffered for us, just for us. It’s like this: pretend you are standing in a public place. A man accuses you of something that is far from true and threatens to kill you. He says it’s either you or everyone else at the place. You see over a hundred people around you and choose to sacrifice yourself for their sake; for their family’s sake. Could you do it? Could you be that selfless? Jesus was. And He left something for us. He left His body and He left His teachings. We were created in God’s perfect image and we have a meaning to our lives. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; it should be our honor to give back the holiness God has bestowed on us back to Him with Church. Through Church, we can develop a deeper meaning of those words and be reassured of His undivided love for us… each and every one of us.
If society allows, Church can change those people who are willing. It can show that there are alternatives to all the corrupt things civilization has brought itself to believe. However, nowadays people are so concerned with their own lives that it seems to be a troublesome task to take time and set it aside for God. If those people could be selfless for just one minute of their lives then things could change. There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, 720 hours in a month, 8,760 hours in a year. On average, someone lives to age 70; to live 70 years is to live 613,200 hours. Over six hundred thousand hours we have in this life. It shouldn’t be so difficult to give back some of those to the man who created us in the first place. It shouldn’t be so difficult to at least try and believe in something bigger than yourself.
“… One thing for certain is that once you have faith, you are protected. You have armor for any struggles that come your way. And although you may not be holding it up when you need it most, it’s there. Faith is important in order to grow. Belief in something without proof, that’s strength. Maybe faith is difficult to find and build, maybe not so much. But then again, maybe we already have it.”
Then again, maybe Church is what gives us the strength to believe in faith.
The most important part of the Church is the Body of Christ, the Eucharist. It’s JESUS. It is HIS body given to YOU. We are kyriake, nothing less. Kirche is a German word derived from the Greek word, “kyriake”. We are called out to worship Him, listen to Him in an assembly of those who believe: ekklesia. We belong to God; we are the People of God. Jesus suffered for us, just for us. It’s like this: pretend you are standing in a public place. A man accuses you of something that is far from true and threatens to kill you. He says it’s either you or everyone else at the place. You see over a hundred people around you and choose to sacrifice yourself for their sake; for their family’s sake. Could you do it? Could you be that selfless? Jesus was. And He left something for us. He left His body and He left His teachings. We were created in God’s perfect image and we have a meaning to our lives. Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit; it should be our honor to give back the holiness God has bestowed on us back to Him with Church. Through Church, we can develop a deeper meaning of those words and be reassured of His undivided love for us… each and every one of us.
If society allows, Church can change those people who are willing. It can show that there are alternatives to all the corrupt things civilization has brought itself to believe. However, nowadays people are so concerned with their own lives that it seems to be a troublesome task to take time and set it aside for God. If those people could be selfless for just one minute of their lives then things could change. There are 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week, 720 hours in a month, 8,760 hours in a year. On average, someone lives to age 70; to live 70 years is to live 613,200 hours. Over six hundred thousand hours we have in this life. It shouldn’t be so difficult to give back some of those to the man who created us in the first place. It shouldn’t be so difficult to at least try and believe in something bigger than yourself.
“… One thing for certain is that once you have faith, you are protected. You have armor for any struggles that come your way. And although you may not be holding it up when you need it most, it’s there. Faith is important in order to grow. Belief in something without proof, that’s strength. Maybe faith is difficult to find and build, maybe not so much. But then again, maybe we already have it.”
Then again, maybe Church is what gives us the strength to believe in faith.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Faith
Patrick Overton once said, “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”
Faith is believing without seeing. It is trusting in something you cannot comprehend. When things get tough, you are supposed to be able to rely on something stable, something that will not budge no matter what comes to it. You are supposed to be able to rely on faith- you are supposed to be able to rely on God. But if you aren’t tested of your faith, where does that bring you?
Things in life aren’t just handed to you. The same applies with faith. If you don’t work for it, there is no appreciation. You work to build your faith higher and higher, stronger and stronger. The love of God becomes stronger in your heart. But unlike material, earthly things, faith never runs out.
Matthew 9:22 says:
"Jesus turned and saw her.”Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment."
Our faith allows us to achieve SO many things. Once you let God in, your journey to ultimate happiness begins. You can let go of Him, but He will never let go of you. He loves you unconditionally. He created you, perfectly. Still, you may wonder what the point of faith is if it does not alter His love for you. Well, it’s simple. Although His love does not change, yours does. Faith enables you to become closer with God. It makes you have so much more belief in Him than ever before. And it grows and grows and grows.
Faith and the amount of faith one has determines his or her path. It divides those people who believe in God and those who do not. It is a factor in determining life. It’s important, and once you have it, it can change your life.
Patrick Overton once said, “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”
Let faith fill you; let it fill that empty spot inside your heart. Give it to God, let Him help. Let it allow you to spread your wings and fly. Let it save you. Let it be that solid something that will not budge when things become too tough to handle. Let it encompass you, with whatever state you are in. Let it manipulate you into something bigger, something stronger, something you never could have imagined.
Faith is believing without seeing. It is trusting in something you cannot comprehend. When things get tough, you are supposed to be able to rely on something stable, something that will not budge no matter what comes to it. You are supposed to be able to rely on faith- you are supposed to be able to rely on God. But if you aren’t tested of your faith, where does that bring you?
Things in life aren’t just handed to you. The same applies with faith. If you don’t work for it, there is no appreciation. You work to build your faith higher and higher, stronger and stronger. The love of God becomes stronger in your heart. But unlike material, earthly things, faith never runs out.
Matthew 9:22 says:
"Jesus turned and saw her.”Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment."
Our faith allows us to achieve SO many things. Once you let God in, your journey to ultimate happiness begins. You can let go of Him, but He will never let go of you. He loves you unconditionally. He created you, perfectly. Still, you may wonder what the point of faith is if it does not alter His love for you. Well, it’s simple. Although His love does not change, yours does. Faith enables you to become closer with God. It makes you have so much more belief in Him than ever before. And it grows and grows and grows.
Faith and the amount of faith one has determines his or her path. It divides those people who believe in God and those who do not. It is a factor in determining life. It’s important, and once you have it, it can change your life.
Patrick Overton once said, “When you have come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, Faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.”
Let faith fill you; let it fill that empty spot inside your heart. Give it to God, let Him help. Let it allow you to spread your wings and fly. Let it save you. Let it be that solid something that will not budge when things become too tough to handle. Let it encompass you, with whatever state you are in. Let it manipulate you into something bigger, something stronger, something you never could have imagined.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Angels.
If I had to make one point about how we live our life and angels, it would be this:
When we’re born God gives us an open hand. It’s always there for us whenever we need it. It’s there to hold our hand when things get tough, to pat us on the back when we achieve something as little as tying our shoes for the first time or something as big as getting married and starting a family. That hand is always there for us, whether we fall into bad habits, addictions, depression, feelings of hate—even towards God. It is always open to us. But some of us are too scared to fully commit to God. That’s where angels come into play.
Angels have the ability to give you the slightest dose of faith and security of knowing that there is something out there, something much larger than us, which can fulfill our innermost desires of love, courage, wisdom, strength, and happiness. Angels are the mediators between us and God. They are there to give us a little pat on the back for our accomplishments or a hint when we pray instead of an answer. All of which angels provide is nothing compared to what you can get from God. Angels are providers, angels are protectors. Angels are the ones who build us closer to God.
When we’re born God gives us an open hand. It’s always there for us whenever we need it. It’s there to hold our hand when things get tough, to pat us on the back when we achieve something as little as tying our shoes for the first time or something as big as getting married and starting a family. That hand is always there for us, whether we fall into bad habits, addictions, depression, feelings of hate—even towards God. It is always open to us. But some of us are too scared to fully commit to God. That’s where angels come into play.
Angels have the ability to give you the slightest dose of faith and security of knowing that there is something out there, something much larger than us, which can fulfill our innermost desires of love, courage, wisdom, strength, and happiness. Angels are the mediators between us and God. They are there to give us a little pat on the back for our accomplishments or a hint when we pray instead of an answer. All of which angels provide is nothing compared to what you can get from God. Angels are providers, angels are protectors. Angels are the ones who build us closer to God.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Percentages.
There are way too many things the children of today have to face. It’s as if everything waited to get this bad and in the future it can only get worse. Approximately twenty-five percent of people ages 12 to 20 suffer from an eating disorder; five of that percent end up dying from it. There is an estimated 20 million people in the United States who suffer from depression. Nine percent of kids ten years old and younger are diagnosed with ADHD. Since when are all these problems rising? Why can’t it just be how it seemed to be years and years ago- kids running around all the time, no worries, no concern that your child will be kidnapped walking to a friends’ house, any of that. It is not how the world is supposed to be. It is not at all, and none of it makes sense.
There is no valid reason why things should have turned out this way. The people in your life are supposed to build you up, not tear you down. And those who enter your life are not meant to just break free at their will.
I don’t get personal. But this has gone too far. The world is so screwed up that every little thing has to be evaluated. Today, no one can tell the truth from a lie. There are no shortcuts in life. The things worth achieving are worth fighting for. As for me, I am just beginning to fight. I screw up and let myself down on a daily basis. Everything builds up and those, ‘Oh I’m fine’ sentences are the last string. You break down to nothing and just when you think you are getting to exactly where you want to be something else happens that puts you right back into that rut.
You have to find that strength inside yourself, I have to find the strength inside myself, which enables you to believe you are capable of anything and everything, because you are. All those conformities mean nothing. And every second you lose is another second you cannot gain back. It’s lost forever. In this life, the main goal is to create who you are. Are you going to be vulnerable or stand up for yourself? Sit back and watch the world pass you by or take action? Take responsibility or act like a child? We all need to grow up. This is our time. And with the percentage of screwed up people, this society needs us to start acting like adults sooner.
That’s it, pointblank. Grow up; you aren’t incapable of being who you want to be. You aren’t helpless and you don’t need anyone else to tell you that. Problems are getting stronger and the people are getting weaker. It’s our time to take control.
Perfection.
There is no one even near perfection in this humane world. Those who seem to have everything in place are usually the ones most broken. They see nothing of importance in the world except material things to take the place of the lack of happiness they crave. Although not quite perfect, those who are poor and in need are closer to perfection than any others. When the only thing to rely on is belief in faith, everything makes a turn for the better.
So why is it that those who have nothing in the end have the most? It is because those who have nothing are able to believe without seeing instead of seeing in order to believe. Believing in faith enables one to find an eternal love- more specifically, the eternal love in God. He is more powerful and loving than any human being can come close to becoming. There is no ultimatum with God for He is the epitome of perfection.
In our society, there is always a standard that hasn’t been quite met and in the entire bustle of the world, people seem to lose sight of the things that really matter. For some, the idea of being lost is worrisome. Not being able to see that light at the end of the tunnel because you’re on a curve, getting even more off track from all the speed bumps and rocks thrown in the middle of the road.
Go even to the extent of saying love cannot near perfection. But it used to seem perfect- all those sitcoms portraying ‘the perfect family’ or ‘the perfect couple’. They cannot be meaningful because there is not a way to create a love without worry and concern; there are always faux pas in love. A few wrong words, a couple incidents- nowadays there are a number of things which can endanger a love which people share.
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1 John 4:18
The only one who can give eternal, infallible love is God. And with Him, one cannot be afraid. He is the protector and we are the children. His love does not fluctuate based on decisions we make. We are made perfect in His eyes, through His love. And concluding from that, we have no reason to fear.
Steubenville, Atlanta 2009.
There are always going to be times when you feel like no one is around. Where there seems to be no one to comfort you when you are crying, calm you when you are scared. But there is one person who is always constant. And that person is God.
Steubenville, Atlanta 2009. Nothing like it in the world.
“You’re stuck in a thorn bush, trying to get out. But every time you try to free yourself, you get struck with your sins- the thorns. Then Jesus sees you. He is mighty enough to take a sword and cut you out, but instead He pulls the thorn bushes from around you with His bare hands. The thorns cut deep into his skin but He still persists because He doesn’t want to risk hurting you with the sword. He would rather take the pain to save you, his child, from your hurt.” (Mark Hart)
God touched me, and everyone else, in so many ways this past weekend. I learned an immense amount about myself and I struggled with battles that had been constantly going on inside me. I can’t even begin to explain what Steubenville changed inside me. And this time, I really am changing things about myself.
God cares about you. He cares about you more than anyone else in the world ever could. He has a grand plan for you, only for you. You were created perfect in his eyes- absolutely perfect. It’s hard to understand but it’s true.
There used to be only two people I absolutely needed to live in this world. Now, it’s three.
He works wonders, let Him do it on you.
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