It's been a good long minute since I last posted something. Life's been chaotic. Good chaotic. More on that in a later post.
Anywho.
Isaiah 41:9-10 NLT, "I have called you back from the ends of the earth, saying, 'You are my servant.' For I have chosen you and will not throw you away. Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand."
The Lord says this through Isaiah, all in the context of talking about how great He (God) is.
Here are some of my thoughts: Sometimes we get so wrapped up in how great, or how big and powerful our enemies and our problems are that we forget the One who can turn it all around in an instant. Sometimes, we complain about how we feel so much that we need to be sent through a wilderness for a bit so that all of that complaining and junk can die off of us. If we tried to possess the promises in the state of mind that we're in, God wouldn't get the glory. In fact, we probably wouldn't even appreciate the fact that He gave us our promises. We'd find something else to complain about!
I mean, look at the Israelites. From what it looks like, it was a two-week journey from Egypt to the Promised Land. Two stinking weeks. And you know how long it took 'em to get there? Forty days. Bruh. 'Cause they was a mess. It's like God took 'em the scenic route because He knew they'd act stupid. It's like when a parent drives around the block fifty times waiting for their baby to fall asleep. But then after they got there, they were like, nah, we can't possess that, we're way too small, and so they had to wander around in the wilderness for another forty years.
See, other times, we get so wrapped up in how pitiful we are, we don't think we're worth possessing our promises. It's like, "Oh, I'm trash. I know God said this, but I could never do that. I'm not qualified, I've messed up too many times, when I mess this up He'll just abandon me and move on to someone else." That has to die too. Another wilderness, another season of getting to know God in a more personal way, of seeing His provision and His goodness and His faithfulness through all of our ups and downs.
Guys, God's called us to greatness. Whatever that looks like for you, whether it's in the 'ordinary', 'be good at your job and talk to your coworkers about God' kind of life, or the 'go to another country and touch lives there', don't just settle for good. Don't settle for comfortable. Don't settle for this side of Jordan when there's a promised land past that. And don't be afraid to go in and possess that promise, because God's already said that He's with you and He won't forsake you. He'll help you, He'll strengthen you, and when you mess up He's not going to throw you away. He's going to stay by your side, help you back up and you're gonna go and possess that promise.
Love you guys. :)
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 26, 2018
Monday, February 12, 2018
Rejection or Divine Redirection?
Let's talk about the r-word.
Rejection.
Ouch. It hurts just thinking about it.
Everyone feels rejected at some point. Life isn't always about acceptance, you know. People aren't gonna like you 100% of the time. Maybe it's 'cause you accidentally cut them off in traffic. Maybe you pointed out a flaw in their logic. Maybe you're doing the best you can and for whatever reason, they just really don't like you. Or, it could be, you're doing your absolute best to reach out, be the light, be Jesus to everyone around you, and they reject you for it. Whatever the reason, you end up feeling rejected, dejected, and that ain't a fun place to be.
And you know who one of the most rejected-feeling groups of people is in this world?
Youth.
They got ALL this junk going on with their bodies, school, peer group, etc. They're trying to navigate through the ins and outs of becoming young adults, becoming more responsible, while also having the expectations that this world thrusts upon young people, to be irresponsible, make mistakes and live it up as much as possible. It's a nightmare. We're supposed to have fun in high school, make friends, be crazy teenagers, and then suddenly seventeen and eighteen hits and, whoa, we're supposed to have jobs, get college degrees and know exactly what we wanna do with our lives? You're crazy. This world is jacked up. Like, hon, it don't work like that, there are some habits that gotta be formed before we can effectively do that, yo.
Oh, and did I mention the whole being a Christian thing? When you're a Christian, you automatically stand out from the crowd. You will get rejected for what you believe, whether you're actively telling people about what you believe or not. It's just the world we live in.
But don't let rejection stop you from being who God's called you to be. If God has called you to preach, don't let discouragement from your peers to "shut up about this Jesus thing" stop you from continuing to talk about Jesus. If God's called you to reach your friends and teach Bible studies, don't let anyone's rejection of what the Bible says stop you from continuing to look for someone who will accept it.
It all comes down to this, guys: Sometimes, it's not rejection, sometimes it's a divine redirection. Sometimes, that rejection saves you from wasting time on people who really don't want it, and forces you to go find the ones who really want the truth. Sometimes, that rejection you get sets you up to do what God meant for you to do in the first place.
You have to perceive it differently. Jesus said that when you get rejected, shake the dust off your feet and keep going. He already told us we'd get rejected just for being His followers. But there are people who desperately need and want this beautiful Gospel we've been given. There are people that only you can reach, and who are you to deny them of their chance at Heaven, just because you were rejected?
I understand. Rejection hurts. It's hard getting your hopes up only to have them crushed, to really go after something you want only to see all your plans fall apart. It's hard to try to reach out to someone who seems like they need, no, they want help, but they reject your help. And then what about next time? What if you try to reach out to someone else and they slap your hand away like that other person did before? Yeeoosh. The prospect of rejection can freeze even the strongest warrior. You're not alone in feeling it or fearing it.
But don't let that fear, or that feeling of having been rejected, stop you from being who God called you to be, trying to go after God's plans for your life, from reaching out to people around you. Rejection is that testing ground to see how much you believe what God told you. It's the fire that'll burn the things that won't stand and leave the things that will. Rejection can show you what you need to work on if you let it. It can spin you around, and then push you towards someone else. Yeah, man, it's painful. But it's not the end. There's life after rejection, there's something we're supposed to do afterward. We can sit in a corner and sulk about how someone rejected us, or we can rise above it and try to find someone who wants to hear about Jesus.
For me, rejection makes me reevaluate everything. That can be good and bad, you already know what the bad is so I won't go into that. The good: what do I do now? What's the next step, where do I go from here? Like they say, when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go next is up. What's that for you? Or better yet: who is that for you? Who else do you think just might want a Bible study, or might want to come to church, or might want to hang out with you and the youth group?
You know something? Rejection, much as it hurt, might be our best teacher. 'Cause sometimes, it'll redirect us from people who don't want it to people who do. Sometimes, it's not rejection. Sometimes, it's a divine redirection.
Rejection.
Ouch. It hurts just thinking about it.
Everyone feels rejected at some point. Life isn't always about acceptance, you know. People aren't gonna like you 100% of the time. Maybe it's 'cause you accidentally cut them off in traffic. Maybe you pointed out a flaw in their logic. Maybe you're doing the best you can and for whatever reason, they just really don't like you. Or, it could be, you're doing your absolute best to reach out, be the light, be Jesus to everyone around you, and they reject you for it. Whatever the reason, you end up feeling rejected, dejected, and that ain't a fun place to be.
And you know who one of the most rejected-feeling groups of people is in this world?
Youth.
They got ALL this junk going on with their bodies, school, peer group, etc. They're trying to navigate through the ins and outs of becoming young adults, becoming more responsible, while also having the expectations that this world thrusts upon young people, to be irresponsible, make mistakes and live it up as much as possible. It's a nightmare. We're supposed to have fun in high school, make friends, be crazy teenagers, and then suddenly seventeen and eighteen hits and, whoa, we're supposed to have jobs, get college degrees and know exactly what we wanna do with our lives? You're crazy. This world is jacked up. Like, hon, it don't work like that, there are some habits that gotta be formed before we can effectively do that, yo.
Oh, and did I mention the whole being a Christian thing? When you're a Christian, you automatically stand out from the crowd. You will get rejected for what you believe, whether you're actively telling people about what you believe or not. It's just the world we live in.
But don't let rejection stop you from being who God's called you to be. If God has called you to preach, don't let discouragement from your peers to "shut up about this Jesus thing" stop you from continuing to talk about Jesus. If God's called you to reach your friends and teach Bible studies, don't let anyone's rejection of what the Bible says stop you from continuing to look for someone who will accept it.
It all comes down to this, guys: Sometimes, it's not rejection, sometimes it's a divine redirection. Sometimes, that rejection saves you from wasting time on people who really don't want it, and forces you to go find the ones who really want the truth. Sometimes, that rejection you get sets you up to do what God meant for you to do in the first place.
You have to perceive it differently. Jesus said that when you get rejected, shake the dust off your feet and keep going. He already told us we'd get rejected just for being His followers. But there are people who desperately need and want this beautiful Gospel we've been given. There are people that only you can reach, and who are you to deny them of their chance at Heaven, just because you were rejected?
I understand. Rejection hurts. It's hard getting your hopes up only to have them crushed, to really go after something you want only to see all your plans fall apart. It's hard to try to reach out to someone who seems like they need, no, they want help, but they reject your help. And then what about next time? What if you try to reach out to someone else and they slap your hand away like that other person did before? Yeeoosh. The prospect of rejection can freeze even the strongest warrior. You're not alone in feeling it or fearing it.
But don't let that fear, or that feeling of having been rejected, stop you from being who God called you to be, trying to go after God's plans for your life, from reaching out to people around you. Rejection is that testing ground to see how much you believe what God told you. It's the fire that'll burn the things that won't stand and leave the things that will. Rejection can show you what you need to work on if you let it. It can spin you around, and then push you towards someone else. Yeah, man, it's painful. But it's not the end. There's life after rejection, there's something we're supposed to do afterward. We can sit in a corner and sulk about how someone rejected us, or we can rise above it and try to find someone who wants to hear about Jesus.
For me, rejection makes me reevaluate everything. That can be good and bad, you already know what the bad is so I won't go into that. The good: what do I do now? What's the next step, where do I go from here? Like they say, when you hit rock bottom, the only way to go next is up. What's that for you? Or better yet: who is that for you? Who else do you think just might want a Bible study, or might want to come to church, or might want to hang out with you and the youth group?
You know something? Rejection, much as it hurt, might be our best teacher. 'Cause sometimes, it'll redirect us from people who don't want it to people who do. Sometimes, it's not rejection. Sometimes, it's a divine redirection.
Friday, February 2, 2018
An Open Future
I feel like the name of this blog is perfect for me because sometimes I just go for weeks and months on end without posting and then I come back like HEY SO GUYS like no time's passed at all. 😅😂
But anyways. Guys. I got my diploma in the mail, like, a month ago come Saturday. Let's just say it softened the blow of not being accepted to grad school. Can't go to grad school this semester but hey, at least I can now prove that I finished my BA last semester, right?
And I'll have you know, I only cried like five times in the 7 or so hours after I found out about not being accepted. 😅😭😳😶
This made me reevaluate basically my whole life. "What now?" I asked myself. I have a mini fridge in the living room, a microwave, and a cool Ninja blender (that I have been using the entire time during this year's 21 Day Challenge a.k.a. Daniel Fast 2.0, btw). I have some money saved up in the bank, my own debit card, a cool smartphone, and a bunch of big dreams. What am I supposed to do now?
See, I had the whole next 4-5 months planned out. Go to grad school. Take classes. Hang with my best friends. Stay up way too late doing assignments and studying, drinking coffee and laughing with awesome people. Cry my eyes out during chapel services, pray like I never had before with people in my age group. All that's basically out the window for now. I have at least 6 months to do... what?
So, I basically sat down with my questions and tried to figure out what I want to do with my life. What do I want to do career-wise? There are a few things, but one thing I think would be pretty stinkin' fantastic is this: Write. I want to write. I wanna write fiction. I want to "live by my pen" as Anne Hathaway said in her role as Jane Austen in the movie "Becoming Jane." How do I do that? Well, first off, I gotta write. I gotta edit the mess out of my work. I gotta make it publishable. Next step, publish the work. Market the work. Get paid for the work. Aaaaaand repeat until I can either live off of writing or live off it and some kind of other part-time or full-time job.
Sidenote: I love my job, absolutely love it. I'm learning all these crazy things about the world of printing and web design and all this stuff, I feel like a starry-eyed kid at Disney World half the time (the other half I'm working trying to make sure I'm doing my job right and as well as possible). I just have like, fifty different ideas of how my life could go and I'm tryna get 'em all out before they make my head explode. 😜
What else do I wanna do? I wanna travel. I wanna go on missions trips, see what it's like to be a missionary, help out missionaries, do missionary work.
So what have I done about this stuff? Well for one, I've looked into some mission trips. There are too many deadlines at the beginning of the year so unless someone walks up to me and says, "Hey, I want you to come with me to this foreign country this year," then I probably won't go overseas just quite yet. I've also looked into going overseas to teach ESL. Got some pointers from my uncle, who went overseas and taught English in Korea, and there are some pretty cool opportunities that I'm looking into a little bit more. I'd need a TESL or TEFL certification and a few other prereq's that would take a little time to get done, but lucky for me, that fits my schedule for the next two years haha. Oh, and as for writing, I've made it a goal to write and publish 5 books this year on various platforms, i.e. Wattpad, Amazon, possibly Inkitt, etc.
I might still go to grad school. Or I might just go to the undergrad area to get a certificate in Apostolic Studies so I can articulate my faith in a knowledgeable way and get some experience living on my own for a bit. Or I might just skip all that, work hard, get my TESL/TEFL and move to Eastern Asia for the rest of my life! (JK, I'd miss my American people too much... I'll just pack 'em all in suitcases and take 'em with me, muahaha)
The point of this post? It's an open future for me. I've got a direction I want to go in. And I know there's a direction God wants me to go in. The trick is making sure the two are one in the same. Do I think writing can change the world? Yes, yes I do. Do I think teaching can change the world? Tried and proven, both in the secular and the church worlds, teaching can completely change the world, because it changes young people who will go on to change the world. Do I think this is something I should pursue? Short answer: Yes. Time (and a whole lotta prayer) will tell if this is the direction God wants me to go in.
'Til next time, folks!
--Sonya 😁 💖
P.S. I'mma try to get better at writing this blog, or at least posting something on this blog. Bear with me, guys. 😜
But anyways. Guys. I got my diploma in the mail, like, a month ago come Saturday. Let's just say it softened the blow of not being accepted to grad school. Can't go to grad school this semester but hey, at least I can now prove that I finished my BA last semester, right?
And I'll have you know, I only cried like five times in the 7 or so hours after I found out about not being accepted. 😅😭😳😶
This made me reevaluate basically my whole life. "What now?" I asked myself. I have a mini fridge in the living room, a microwave, and a cool Ninja blender (that I have been using the entire time during this year's 21 Day Challenge a.k.a. Daniel Fast 2.0, btw). I have some money saved up in the bank, my own debit card, a cool smartphone, and a bunch of big dreams. What am I supposed to do now?
See, I had the whole next 4-5 months planned out. Go to grad school. Take classes. Hang with my best friends. Stay up way too late doing assignments and studying, drinking coffee and laughing with awesome people. Cry my eyes out during chapel services, pray like I never had before with people in my age group. All that's basically out the window for now. I have at least 6 months to do... what?
So, I basically sat down with my questions and tried to figure out what I want to do with my life. What do I want to do career-wise? There are a few things, but one thing I think would be pretty stinkin' fantastic is this: Write. I want to write. I wanna write fiction. I want to "live by my pen" as Anne Hathaway said in her role as Jane Austen in the movie "Becoming Jane." How do I do that? Well, first off, I gotta write. I gotta edit the mess out of my work. I gotta make it publishable. Next step, publish the work. Market the work. Get paid for the work. Aaaaaand repeat until I can either live off of writing or live off it and some kind of other part-time or full-time job.
Sidenote: I love my job, absolutely love it. I'm learning all these crazy things about the world of printing and web design and all this stuff, I feel like a starry-eyed kid at Disney World half the time (the other half I'm working trying to make sure I'm doing my job right and as well as possible). I just have like, fifty different ideas of how my life could go and I'm tryna get 'em all out before they make my head explode. 😜
What else do I wanna do? I wanna travel. I wanna go on missions trips, see what it's like to be a missionary, help out missionaries, do missionary work.
So what have I done about this stuff? Well for one, I've looked into some mission trips. There are too many deadlines at the beginning of the year so unless someone walks up to me and says, "Hey, I want you to come with me to this foreign country this year," then I probably won't go overseas just quite yet. I've also looked into going overseas to teach ESL. Got some pointers from my uncle, who went overseas and taught English in Korea, and there are some pretty cool opportunities that I'm looking into a little bit more. I'd need a TESL or TEFL certification and a few other prereq's that would take a little time to get done, but lucky for me, that fits my schedule for the next two years haha. Oh, and as for writing, I've made it a goal to write and publish 5 books this year on various platforms, i.e. Wattpad, Amazon, possibly Inkitt, etc.
I might still go to grad school. Or I might just go to the undergrad area to get a certificate in Apostolic Studies so I can articulate my faith in a knowledgeable way and get some experience living on my own for a bit. Or I might just skip all that, work hard, get my TESL/TEFL and move to Eastern Asia for the rest of my life! (JK, I'd miss my American people too much... I'll just pack 'em all in suitcases and take 'em with me, muahaha)
The point of this post? It's an open future for me. I've got a direction I want to go in. And I know there's a direction God wants me to go in. The trick is making sure the two are one in the same. Do I think writing can change the world? Yes, yes I do. Do I think teaching can change the world? Tried and proven, both in the secular and the church worlds, teaching can completely change the world, because it changes young people who will go on to change the world. Do I think this is something I should pursue? Short answer: Yes. Time (and a whole lotta prayer) will tell if this is the direction God wants me to go in.
'Til next time, folks!
--Sonya 😁 💖
P.S. I'mma try to get better at writing this blog, or at least posting something on this blog. Bear with me, guys. 😜
Thursday, October 26, 2017
Fire. Coal. Diamonds. Info Dump. Teehee.
This is gonna be my inspiration for tomorrow night, and I need to get the fifty billion thoughts in my head about it out in, well, words, so bear with me guys. 😅
People have been talking a lot about fire recently. They've also been talking about a process, transformation, that kind of thing.
So here's this thing that goes through the fire, goes through a process, and undergoes this crazy transformation. You can make a diamond out of a piece of coal because they're both carbon compounds. The difference between a diamond and coal is that, while they're both carbon compounds, they're organized completely differently. A piece of coal gets put into a highly pressurized, incredibly heated environment. After a while in that heat, under all that pressure, it gets taken out and suddenly, it's no longer coal but a diamond. It still has to go through some cutting and polishing and stuff, so the process ain't over yet, but when it's done, it's this beautiful, valuable thing. And get this: when you shine a light through a diamond, you see different aspects of the light. A piece of coal gets a light shined on it and it's just a piece of coal. A diamond reflects and refracts light so you get that awesome rainbow effect that shows you all the different colors of the light spectrum.
We are like pieces of coal separated from the rest of the coal and set aside for the Master's use. When we pray, "Oh God, give me strength, give me patience," we think God's just gonna magically download patience and strength into us. It don't work like that, friend. See, we pray and ask Him for all of these awesome things, and then freak out wondering what we did wrong 'cause suddenly everything's blowing up in our face, our patience is wearing thin, there's all of this pressure coming against us and we are not strong enough to handle everything that's coming against us. But really, we're getting exactly what we asked for. It's a trial by fire. We're getting pressure from all around because God's trying to restructure us into what He wants us to be. We're going through the fire because it'll burn away all of the mess and stuff in us that isn't right. The bible talks about God being an "all-consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29) and that literally means He consumes every single last thing. Are you gonna let God consume every part of your life? He isn't doing this to destroy you, He's doing it to strengthen you and build up your patience. It's a muscle you gotta build. It's a process you gotta go through. So instead of freaking out like, "Why's everyone against me?" "Why is this happening to me?" "Why *insert whatever*?" ask, "What is God trying to work out in me and what can I learn from this?" And then do it. Allow the Spirit of God to flow through you in those situations. James 1:4 says, "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Go through that intense heat and pressurizing process that restructures you and makes you into something new and something beautiful that can reflect the light of Jesus to everyone around you.
So that's basically it. If you got any suggestions, I welcome criticism. 😁 Aaaand keep in mind, this has to be about 5 minutes or so. Yes, I can talk really fast but I can't just give people an info dump and expect them to retain everything. 😅
Speaking of which, I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a SUPER long time. Life's been crazy. I finished my coursework for my BA, I've been trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a line so that I can graduate in December, and then I've been freaking out about that and trying to get accepted into graduate school so I can go in January. So, basically, I'm preaching to myself as much as I'm preaching to my youth group tomorrow night, haha. Humans are great, it's the time crunches that're killing me. It's all in God's hands, though.
To all of you college and high school etc. folk, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You will get your BA done, college people! I believe in you. High schoolers, you will get your high school diploma! All y'all gonna change the world. See? I believe in you so much that this Minnesotan even said 'All y'all' for extra emphasis. You can do it. You're awesome. I love you. You guys inspire me. 😊
God bless you guys!
--Sonya :) <3
People have been talking a lot about fire recently. They've also been talking about a process, transformation, that kind of thing.
So here's this thing that goes through the fire, goes through a process, and undergoes this crazy transformation. You can make a diamond out of a piece of coal because they're both carbon compounds. The difference between a diamond and coal is that, while they're both carbon compounds, they're organized completely differently. A piece of coal gets put into a highly pressurized, incredibly heated environment. After a while in that heat, under all that pressure, it gets taken out and suddenly, it's no longer coal but a diamond. It still has to go through some cutting and polishing and stuff, so the process ain't over yet, but when it's done, it's this beautiful, valuable thing. And get this: when you shine a light through a diamond, you see different aspects of the light. A piece of coal gets a light shined on it and it's just a piece of coal. A diamond reflects and refracts light so you get that awesome rainbow effect that shows you all the different colors of the light spectrum.
We are like pieces of coal separated from the rest of the coal and set aside for the Master's use. When we pray, "Oh God, give me strength, give me patience," we think God's just gonna magically download patience and strength into us. It don't work like that, friend. See, we pray and ask Him for all of these awesome things, and then freak out wondering what we did wrong 'cause suddenly everything's blowing up in our face, our patience is wearing thin, there's all of this pressure coming against us and we are not strong enough to handle everything that's coming against us. But really, we're getting exactly what we asked for. It's a trial by fire. We're getting pressure from all around because God's trying to restructure us into what He wants us to be. We're going through the fire because it'll burn away all of the mess and stuff in us that isn't right. The bible talks about God being an "all-consuming fire" (Hebrews 12:29) and that literally means He consumes every single last thing. Are you gonna let God consume every part of your life? He isn't doing this to destroy you, He's doing it to strengthen you and build up your patience. It's a muscle you gotta build. It's a process you gotta go through. So instead of freaking out like, "Why's everyone against me?" "Why is this happening to me?" "Why *insert whatever*?" ask, "What is God trying to work out in me and what can I learn from this?" And then do it. Allow the Spirit of God to flow through you in those situations. James 1:4 says, "Let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Go through that intense heat and pressurizing process that restructures you and makes you into something new and something beautiful that can reflect the light of Jesus to everyone around you.
So that's basically it. If you got any suggestions, I welcome criticism. 😁 Aaaand keep in mind, this has to be about 5 minutes or so. Yes, I can talk really fast but I can't just give people an info dump and expect them to retain everything. 😅
Speaking of which, I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in a SUPER long time. Life's been crazy. I finished my coursework for my BA, I've been trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a line so that I can graduate in December, and then I've been freaking out about that and trying to get accepted into graduate school so I can go in January. So, basically, I'm preaching to myself as much as I'm preaching to my youth group tomorrow night, haha. Humans are great, it's the time crunches that're killing me. It's all in God's hands, though.
To all of you college and high school etc. folk, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. You will get your BA done, college people! I believe in you. High schoolers, you will get your high school diploma! All y'all gonna change the world. See? I believe in you so much that this Minnesotan even said 'All y'all' for extra emphasis. You can do it. You're awesome. I love you. You guys inspire me. 😊
God bless you guys!
--Sonya :) <3
Monday, May 1, 2017
I Have a Dream
Martin Luther King Jr. was an inspirational man. Social Justice warrior, Christian, a man with uncompromising beliefs, this guy had a dream, and he pursued it with everything he had and inspired (and I dare say he still inspires) millions. That line from his speech, "I have a dream," is probably the one most remembered, quoted line that we know.
So let me use that line for a few minutes.
I have a dream. I have a dream that one day, I will see revival in a foreign country. I have a dream to preach, teach, live out and show the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people who've never heard it before. It's not gonna be me that changes people, it's gonna be the power of God that changes 'em. I just wanna be there to see it and let Him use me as a conduit of His power.
I have a dream that my unsaved family members will come to not only know Jesus, but be changed by His transformational power, go through the salvation process of Acts 2:38, and run with what He gives them. He gave me a promise, and I'm gonna hold onto that and stand on that promise 'til the day I see it fulfilled.
I have a dream that the people who have fought so hard against God will have a divine encounter with Him just like Saul of Tarsus did, and, just like he did, become the greatest apostles we've ever seen.
I have a dream that the friends and family who've left the Truth will come back and go forward stronger than before. Just because you left church doesn't mean God left you. Just because you messed up doesn't mean God's given up on you. He still loves you, He still has a plan and a purpose and a destiny for you, and He's calling you back to Him, listen to that voice, run towards the voice of God.
I have a dream that my youth group will grow in maturity, spiritually, and in number. As long as we got those three happenin', it doesn't matter to me in which order they go, but there's gotta be a spiritual maturity if we want to grow in number. A buncha young people in a building is just a social club. We have not been called to be a social club, we've been called to change the world. We gotta be a buncha Holy Spirit transformed young people, generating an atmosphere of the power and Spirit of God everywhere we go, whether it's at school, at work, at home, and yes, at church and bible studies and youth group too.
I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, Dr. King. He was a legend. I'm just me.
But legends are what happen when someone takes a dream, picks up a worthy cause, and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
He died for his dream. Are we willing to die for ours? Or, maybe even more important, are we willing to live to make them happen?
So let me use that line for a few minutes.
I have a dream. I have a dream that one day, I will see revival in a foreign country. I have a dream to preach, teach, live out and show the Gospel of Jesus Christ to people who've never heard it before. It's not gonna be me that changes people, it's gonna be the power of God that changes 'em. I just wanna be there to see it and let Him use me as a conduit of His power.
I have a dream that my unsaved family members will come to not only know Jesus, but be changed by His transformational power, go through the salvation process of Acts 2:38, and run with what He gives them. He gave me a promise, and I'm gonna hold onto that and stand on that promise 'til the day I see it fulfilled.
I have a dream that the people who have fought so hard against God will have a divine encounter with Him just like Saul of Tarsus did, and, just like he did, become the greatest apostles we've ever seen.
I have a dream that the friends and family who've left the Truth will come back and go forward stronger than before. Just because you left church doesn't mean God left you. Just because you messed up doesn't mean God's given up on you. He still loves you, He still has a plan and a purpose and a destiny for you, and He's calling you back to Him, listen to that voice, run towards the voice of God.
I have a dream that my youth group will grow in maturity, spiritually, and in number. As long as we got those three happenin', it doesn't matter to me in which order they go, but there's gotta be a spiritual maturity if we want to grow in number. A buncha young people in a building is just a social club. We have not been called to be a social club, we've been called to change the world. We gotta be a buncha Holy Spirit transformed young people, generating an atmosphere of the power and Spirit of God everywhere we go, whether it's at school, at work, at home, and yes, at church and bible studies and youth group too.
I'm not, by any stretch of the imagination, Dr. King. He was a legend. I'm just me.
But legends are what happen when someone takes a dream, picks up a worthy cause, and do whatever it takes to make it happen.
He died for his dream. Are we willing to die for ours? Or, maybe even more important, are we willing to live to make them happen?
Monday, April 10, 2017
Teen-hood Gone, On to the Twenties!!!
It's my birthday. I am no longer a teenager. GUYS. I AM NO LONGER A TEENAGER!!!!
To be honest, it doesn't feel different until I think about it. I've lived on this earth for two decades. I've seen sunrises and sunsets, good days and bad days, rainy days and sunny days and snowy days and chilly days and extra-too hot days.
I made it. Not like, made it. But I made it to my twentieth year of life. That's more than some can say. I am blessed. I got a roof over my head, a crazy family who loves and supports me, crazier friends who make life worth living, the ability to listen to music and read and write and laugh and cry and learn and move and grow. I have coffee for goodness's sake, and hot running water, and a nice phone with a great plan (thanks, mom, thanks dad :D), and a computer, and glasses, and a guitar. I could go on all day and all night.
Something struck me while I was on my way home from work today. Through the ups and the downs, God's been there for me through it all. When I was good, and when I was a complete and total mess of hormones and rebellion and pain, He was there. When I wanted to just lie down and die (both figuratively and literally), He was there, keeping me alive, keeping the blood pumping through my veins and the oxygen coming in and carbon dioxide going out. When I wanted to hit someone over the head with a folding chair or throw someone out the window, He held me back (and in some cases, sent an angel to keep me from doing something irrational like that, thanks, sis).
When I missed my friends and felt completely lost and alone, He was there. When I was broken, He was there. God had, has a plan for me. I can't go a day without Him. He's my rock and my salvation, the One who knows the beginning to the end, the One who robed Himself in flesh and came down and died for me. He's a faithful God. I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me.
And if this God has a plan for me, then trust me, He has a plan for you too. You may not be 20 yet, or maybe you're over 20, but He definitely still has a plan for your life. How do I know this? Well, if He didn't then you wouldn't be reading this, now would you? :D
Trust Him in and through the process. Pain means you're growing and that you're still alive. Pain is a lesson. You just need to learn it. When you're in the fire, He's in it with you. When the storm's raging around you, He's right there with you. Maybe He's calling you to get out of the boat and walk on the water. Maybe He's in the boat with you and you need to have more faith and stop freaking out. He said you'd make it to the other side, and if God says it, it's gonna happen. He's faithful.
Life's such a crazy thing, a precious gift. It's made up of decisions that we make. My life's not over yet, and neither is yours. We both have a chance to make our lives mean something, and God can make it mean more than we ever thought possible. So go do something with your life. Don't give up. Keep pressing forward towards the destiny that God has for you.
God bless you guys. Love ya. <3 :)
--Sonya :) <3
P.S. Guys I need a new name for this blog 'cause I'm no longer a teenager. If no one gives me suggestions, I will be forced to come up with one myself. Muahaha. But seriously though if you have suggestions, comment, I am accepting suggestions and if I like more than one I may just do a crazy mash-up so I don't know. x)
To be honest, it doesn't feel different until I think about it. I've lived on this earth for two decades. I've seen sunrises and sunsets, good days and bad days, rainy days and sunny days and snowy days and chilly days and extra-too hot days.
I made it. Not like, made it. But I made it to my twentieth year of life. That's more than some can say. I am blessed. I got a roof over my head, a crazy family who loves and supports me, crazier friends who make life worth living, the ability to listen to music and read and write and laugh and cry and learn and move and grow. I have coffee for goodness's sake, and hot running water, and a nice phone with a great plan (thanks, mom, thanks dad :D), and a computer, and glasses, and a guitar. I could go on all day and all night.
Something struck me while I was on my way home from work today. Through the ups and the downs, God's been there for me through it all. When I was good, and when I was a complete and total mess of hormones and rebellion and pain, He was there. When I wanted to just lie down and die (both figuratively and literally), He was there, keeping me alive, keeping the blood pumping through my veins and the oxygen coming in and carbon dioxide going out. When I wanted to hit someone over the head with a folding chair or throw someone out the window, He held me back (and in some cases, sent an angel to keep me from doing something irrational like that, thanks, sis).
When I missed my friends and felt completely lost and alone, He was there. When I was broken, He was there. God had, has a plan for me. I can't go a day without Him. He's my rock and my salvation, the One who knows the beginning to the end, the One who robed Himself in flesh and came down and died for me. He's a faithful God. I can't wait to see what else He has in store for me.
And if this God has a plan for me, then trust me, He has a plan for you too. You may not be 20 yet, or maybe you're over 20, but He definitely still has a plan for your life. How do I know this? Well, if He didn't then you wouldn't be reading this, now would you? :D
Trust Him in and through the process. Pain means you're growing and that you're still alive. Pain is a lesson. You just need to learn it. When you're in the fire, He's in it with you. When the storm's raging around you, He's right there with you. Maybe He's calling you to get out of the boat and walk on the water. Maybe He's in the boat with you and you need to have more faith and stop freaking out. He said you'd make it to the other side, and if God says it, it's gonna happen. He's faithful.
Life's such a crazy thing, a precious gift. It's made up of decisions that we make. My life's not over yet, and neither is yours. We both have a chance to make our lives mean something, and God can make it mean more than we ever thought possible. So go do something with your life. Don't give up. Keep pressing forward towards the destiny that God has for you.
God bless you guys. Love ya. <3 :)
--Sonya :) <3
P.S. Guys I need a new name for this blog 'cause I'm no longer a teenager. If no one gives me suggestions, I will be forced to come up with one myself. Muahaha. But seriously though if you have suggestions, comment, I am accepting suggestions and if I like more than one I may just do a crazy mash-up so I don't know. x)
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