Bible Study Tips

It's that time of the year when everyone is setting New Year's resolutions for 2015.  If you're like me, you hope to dive a bit deeper into the Bible in the next 365 days.  This isn't an easy goal to accomplish, so I've compiled a list of ten Bible study tips (in no particular order) that I have found helpful.  If you have any tips you would like to share, please leave them in the comments.

1. Keep a Journal
This might not sound like a great idea, but trust me.  Keeping a journal of my time with God has changed the way I see and do devotions.  Writing things down on paper helps you to better remember what you learn.  It also serves as a great reminder of the ways God has worked in your life in the past.  Write as much or as little as you want, but put down enough words to remember what you meant if you ever look back at that journal entry.

2. Check Your Motives
Reading the Bible just to get through it is never a great idea.  It causes you to miss a lot of information and prevents you from really being open to the word of God working in your life.  I'm not saying that you can't set goals.  Just be sure that you want more than a gold star for completion.  Also, don't make yourself the most important person in the equation.  It's not about you.  Read because you want to know God more or simply want to spend time with Him.

3. Clear Your Mind
Before you even open your Bible, it is good to make sure that your mind is not occupied by irrelevant ideas.  Keep an extra piece of paper in your journal to write down these pestering thoughts.  That way, if you have something you need to remember, you can do so without it affecting your time with God.

4. Silence Your Phone
There is nothing worse than being interrupted by a text message or phone call when you're having a great time learning from God.  The best way to take care of this is to shut your phone off or put it in airplane mode.  Eliminating this distraction goes a long way in making sure that God has your full attention. 

5. Start With Prayer
It's always a good idea to begin by inviting God to be with you while you study the Bible.  Of course, He is always present, but it is important to remember that we need Him to help us interpret passages correctly.  I like to ask Him to reveal anything to me that He wishes.  God may decide to reveal things to you that others wouldn't notice or that may speak directly into your life.  Prayer also helps to redirect your focus on God.  Sometimes, it is necessary to ask Him to eliminate distractions so that you can fully commit yourself to the task ahead of you.

6. Print it Out
If you're anything like me, you don't like to make too many marks in your Bible.  Aside from underlining and writing a word here and there, I try not to clutter the pages of my Bible with my own words.  However, the best way to dissect a passage of scripture is to mark it up.  Printing the passage allows you to do just that.  It also gives you much more room to write notes, make arrows, and connect ideas in the margins.  If you're feeling overly adventurous, you might even double space it to give yourself more room to work. 

7. Read Slowly
Quickly blowing over the information in your Bible is not going to benefit you in any way.  It is important to take your time so that you don't miss anything.  Again, completion is not the goal.

8. Read Every Word
I know that sounds stupid, but make sure you read the words on the page, not the words you want to see.  Every word was intentionally placed there, so try to understand why.  Be curious.  Ask yourself questions about the words, and try to find the answer.  Take note of lists and words that imply a greater meaning.  Don't be afraid to break out the dictionary or look up another translation of the passage.

9. Go Outside
There is something special about reading God's word while being surrounded by His creation.  For me, it helps to clear my mind and open up new possibilities.  Sometimes, God chooses to use your surroundings to reveal things to you, especially when you're in nature.  There are few times that I have felt closer to God than when I have opened my Bible, sat under a tree, and allowed God to speak.

10. Sacrifice
Spending more time studying God's word is going to mean that you will have to sacrifice something.  Be willing to set aside your own desires and put Him first.  Sacrifice is a crucial part of love.  God sacrificed His son for us.  The least we can do is give up some of our time each day.  The amount of time does not matter.  The important thing is that we put God first and invite Him into our day.

Happy New Year!
Hopefully 2015 will be filled with many exciting adventures and will bring you closer to God than ever before.

Transparency

I'm having a hard time finding the words that I want to say.  I desperately want to be transparent.  So here it goes.  I'm not perfect, although I confess that I am a perfectionist.  Hiding my flaws has become a daily routine.  One I'm not proud of, but to bare my faults would be to induce fear.  I've never been good at letting people in past the walls.  I've set up so many barriers "to protect myself" because allowing people to see past the facade might cost me something.  They may change their opinion of me or say something rude.  Even as I write this, I think about the consequences of transparency.  On the other hand, I'm also reminded that there is only one opinion that matters.  Everyone can turn from me, but God will always remain.  His opinion carries more weight than my closest friends or relatives.  I hope that as I continue to grow closer to God and experience the fullness of his love, all else will fade away.  You see, this all stems from pride, which is an issue of the heart.  The heart deals with love.  Love is God's specialty.  What have I to fear?  God is enough.

God is Enough

Last week I watched a couple videos of Judah Smith preaching (If you don't know who that is, he is the author of the book Jesus is___.), and in one of them he asked himself this question: Since when is God not enough?  I may be paraphrasing that, but the essence of the question remains.  We so often pretend that God is not big enough, strong enough, or powerful enough to take care of us. Maybe Judah and I are the only ones who do this, but I doubt it.  So, what is our problem? Where did we get this idea that God's abilities are confined only to what we think He can do?

Psalm 29 tells us that the voice of the Lord is powerful.  It breaks the cedars, strikes with lightning, shakes the desert, twists the oaks, and strips the forests bare.  Is this the same God we picture when we look to food, friends, or money for comfort?  I'm humbled by the comparison of the God I see in the Bible and the character I've created in my head.  I'm in awe of the truth.  The one who runs after me is so glorious, yet I still run away.  I still fear.  I still have doubts.  In return, He loves me with a type of love that I will never understand or deserve.  The beauty of it all lies in this simple truth: nothing I do can affect His love for me because He is love.

God will not love me less if I forgot to spend time with Him tomorrow.  He will not love me more if I spend my whole day in worship.  Not only does He love me, but He longs to care for me.  The same goes for you no matter who you are.  From the beginning of time, God has loved you and has longed for the day you would reciprocate His love.  Don't be fooled into thinking that you're not "good enough" for his grace.  God is bigger than any wrong you have ever done, and He has the power to lift you out of the dark places you may find yourself.  God never asks us to take care of our baggage before we come to Him.  We are to approach the throne of grace just as we are and lay everything at His feet.

I may not be able to comprehend the love of God, but I rest in the security of knowing that He loves me and that He will always take care of me.  When I start to have doubts, I need to stop and ask myself if God is still enough.  I always know the answer is yes, but asking that question helps me to put things into perspective.  Whether you're struggling through a difficult situation today or you're having the best day of your life, take comfort and be humbled by God's love.  Know that in every circumstance, God is enough.

Owning Our Faith

I don't always put my heart into everything that I do in life, but my faith is one thing I am passionate about.  It makes me want to learn, pushes me to grow as a person, and inspires me to care more about others.  The challenge to know God in a more personal way than I ever thought  possible is a task that I gladly welcome.  I have the joy of uncovering His mysteries every day and taking pleasure in what I find.  Now that I have experienced the joy that is mine through Christ, I would never want to distance myself from my faith.

I haven't always felt this way, though.  I used to be complacent and happy to move through life only pretending that my faith was important.  I knew all the Sunday School answers and Bible stories that I had been taught from a very young age.  Singing the books of the Bible was only slightly harder than singing my ABC's.  Yet, all that I knew meant very little to me.  My relationship with God was only a Sunday morning routine.  My pastor owned his faith.  My parents owned their faith.  I simply tried to live off of their faith as if that would fulfill my soul's desire to be close to God.  I eventually realized that their faith wasn't able to provide me with a personal relationship with my heavenly Father.  I said the sinner's prayer when I was a child, and what Jesus did for me that night was very personal, but I hadn't quite grasped what it meant for Him to be a personal, relational God.

It took me about thirteen years to realize what it meant to have a relationship with God and to experience it for myself.  If you haven't gotten to that point in your understanding of God, you might want to take a serious look at your faith.  Before I owned my faith, I only went to God for help.  I rarely talked to others about Him.  I obeyed the Ten Commandments simply because it was the right thing to do.  Hearing from God was completely foreign to me.  This all changed when I began to want God.  I stopped asking what He could give me and started asking for more of Him.  Once I did that, I started seeing God show up in my life.

If you're wondering where God is in your life, try asking yourself how much you are owning your faith.  Is God more than a character in your mind?  Are you seeking Him?  God is constant.  He never changes which means that He never moves away from us.  We, on the other hand, can move closer to or farther away from Him.  So, don't be complacent.  God is the one who created you and longs for you to know Him more. When you begin to desire His presence in return and to own your faith, you begin to experience God.

"Come near to God and he will come near to you."
James 4:8

Little Bits of Sunshine

The past few weeks of school have been pretty crazy, and I haven't had the time that I would like to devote to a proper blog post.  I told myself I would sit down to write when I had some time, but I honestly haven't had anything weighing on my heart that I wanted to share.  For that reason, I thought I would write about something a bit different today.  Where I live, the weather has been quite dreary for the past few days.  I'm not a fan of this type of weather.  However, there are always little bits of sunshine that can make these days better.  Here are some of the things that have been brightening my days recently:

- Sunsets
- Bright sunlight peeking through the clouds
- Leaves falling from the trees
- Time with friends
- Conversations with God
- Attending Bible study
- Making music

The things on this list are reminders of God's love for me and His constant presence in my life. As I experience these throughout my day, I realize once again that God knows everything about me.  He knows when I need lifted up and encourages me to put a smile on my face even when skies are gray. 

Inspiration for the Next Round

Over the years, I have heard many stories about people falling away from God during their time in college.  There are so many distractions and temptations that appear during this time.  Most of them were present in high school, but the freedom of being in college allows people to experiment more and take less precaution than ever before.  I have witnessed many freshman fall away from God during this time, but I'm glad to say that my story isn't the same.

My freshman year of college was marked by everything you would expect such as difficult classes, new friends, and fun experiences, but the most important thing I experienced during this time was a closer walk with God.  I began going to Bible studies both on and off campus in the first few weeks of school.  While others were partying, I was growing closer to God.  I don't say this to make myself sound better than others.  Rather, I want it to be a reminder that college is different for everyone, and it can be time of growth according to what choices we make.  This isn't confined to college either.  The consequences we face in life, whether good or bad, are all shaped by our actions and decisions.  Getting back on track, I've been thinking about my freshman year quite a bit recently.  It was a time in which I went deeper in my faith and had the support of some really great friends.  Now that I am back on campus and with these people again, I am inspired by the memories that I have from my freshman year.  It's time to pick up where I left off with my friends as well as prepare myself for the ways God will work this school year.

One way that I am applying this in my life is by restarting the accountability group that I had with a couple friends last year.  During the second semester of my freshman year, I felt God telling me to make this group with two of my close friends.  None of us really knew what we were doing, but we soon learned that we can grow much stronger together than we can by ourselves.  We now sit together for about an hour one day a week to encourage each other.  We open up about our struggles, pray together, spend some time independently with God, and commit to keeping each other accountable.  After we started this group, we become much closer as friends and gained the support we needed to grow as Christians.  Because of the impact this accountability group had on each of us, we wasted no time getting right back into the routine this year.  I'm excited to see how well it goes this year and where it will take us in our separate walks with God.

Looking back on my first year of college inspires me to go deeper in my faith.  It encourages me to believe that my second year can be just as good, if not better, than the first.  God is always near, and He is always working in our lives.  Sometimes I just need a reminder of what He has done in the past in order to see the potential of the future.

Lessons from Pittsburgh

The final part of my journey was a two-week stay in Pittsburgh.  While I was there, I worked with Youth With A Mission as a volunteer staff member for a summer camp/mission trip called Joshua Generation.  During this time, God showed up in many different ways and even took the opportunity to teach me a few lessons.  I would love to tell of everything God shared with me, but I will give the highlights instead.

When I first decided to be a volunteer staff member for this trip, I knew it was a choice made out of obedience.  God made it clear that I was supposed to be there, and I wanted to follow His plan for me.  To be completely honest, this was a time of testing.  I had been away from home for two weeks and wanted to be in the comfort of my own small town again.  When things didn't go exactly as I had anticipated, this desire to flee became even stronger.  I had to make the choice if I was going to stay or leave.  While on the phone with my mom, she asked me what I wanted to do.  I responded that my decision should to be made according to what I needed to do, not what I wanted to do.  This was hard, but it taught me a lot about sacrifice.  I had to put aside my own thoughts and feelings and trust that God would provide the energy and enthusiasm to make it through those two weeks.  In hindsight, there isn't one big reason why I believe God had me there but there are plenty of small reasons.  One of which was to teach me about obedience and sacrifice.  In those times of testing, I have to remember that refining is often done by fire.  This process may not be pleasant, but I am thankful for the aftermath.

For this next story, I want to give a little background from my last Joshua Generation experience as a student.  Two years ago, I learned that God can give me words for other people.  I had known for a while that He could speak to me through my thoughts, but I realized then that He wanted to speak words to me that were intended for other people.  Staff members had given me what are called "words" many times before.  These words were always very special for me to hear, and I remember most of them to this day.  So, I was excited when I found out that God wanted to use me in this way.  Returning back to the original timeline,  I learned even more about this gift during my time with YWAM this summer.  Oddly enough, I had never before realized all of the details that I am given when God presents me with a word for someone.  Usually, I don't just receive a word from God.  I get a person's name or face, a word, and a picture that confirms the word.  The way God plans this stuff blows my mind.  He knows that I often doubt my assignment to give someone a word that I have heard from Him.  I think the picture is His way of reinforcing the message that I have been given.  Another reinforcement sometimes comes after the word has been given.  Here is an example from my experience at Joshua Generation:

One morning, I felt God instructing me to give a word to the student that was doing devotions with me.  I was unsure exactly what I was supposed to say, but I went ahead and took the opportunity to talk to her after we finished our devotions.  I had planned out what I was going to tell her, but the words changed as they flowed out of mouth.  They became the words that God needed to speak into her life.  I realized as that happened that my words were useless, but God's were so meaningful.  The word she was supposed to hear was "leader."  God was calling her to lead others and was shaping her into the type of person that would fit this mold even if it did not seem natural.  Her response to me confirmed that God was speaking through me.  Once I said what God had put in my mouth, she told me that she had been struggling with God about Him making her into a leader.  I didn't expect her to say that, but it was good to see God confirm the message.

God works in amazing ways.  Sometimes the process of His work isn't what we would call fun, but I know that He always has a plan.  God wants to use our lives to accomplish extraordinary things in this world.  We just have to be attentive and obedient to His call.  My experiences this summer are proof of that. 

Team Picture! 

If you would like to learn more about Youth With A Mission,

visit www.ywampittsburgh.org

 

Vacationing at the Beach

The day after returning from Colorado, I went to North Carolina and spent time at the beach with family and friends.  I have loved trips to the beach ever since I was a little girl.  Splashing in the waves and napping under the sun will never get old.  Each time that I find myself sitting on the shore, I am captivated by the beauty of what lies in front of me.  This feeling of amazement builds from one viewing to another.  No longer is the ocean just something that I enjoy, but it is something that holds a great mystery.  I don't understand the movement of the water or the rhythm of the waves.  I will never see most of the creatures that call the ocean home.  Yet, I know the one who created it all. 

I can stand at the edge of the water for hours and think about God and nature.  He creates such beautiful things, and I have the privilege of experiencing a portion of it.  Some people will never experience the ocean and some who do prefer to stay far away from it.  I find it hard to put myself in their shoes because I love the sense I get about the beach that there is so much more to be known than meets the eye.  There is a story behind every grain of sand and each shell washed up on the shore.  I will never know these stories, but it fascinates me to think they all exist.  Maybe I'm going a bit too deep here, but these are simply my thoughts.  The sun illuminates a million things at this wonderful place called the beach, and at the same time it lights up a part of my imagination that normally stays dark.

Speaking of the dark, I also love what happens at the beach when the sun goes down.  One of the most interesting things about nature is that it completely changes at night, and the beach is no different.  I've spent many evenings hunting for crabs in the sand with my family.  We don't always find any, but when we do someone is guaranteed to let out a scream as a crab crawls over their bare feet.  These are some of the cherished moments that God has given me.  Days at the beach with my family will always be in my memory as some of the greatest times spent with them.  

From the mountains to the beach, God knows how to touch my heart.  He can always bring a smile to my face, and He did so multiple times as I stared out at the ocean.  All I have left to say is this: God is good.

Colorado Mountaintops

Just over a month ago, I went to the Free Methodist Youth Conference (FMYC) that was held in Fort Collins, Colorado.  It was a great experience to be a leader there and see how the event impacted the students from our youth group.  I had looked forward to seeing how God would speak to the students, but I did not anticipate how much He would also speak to me during this time.  Most of the eye-opening moments from this trip occurred during the evening session when the speaker, Phil Manginelli, took the stage.  Phil spoke with a passion that magnified everything that God was speaking into your life at that very moment.  It quickly became clear to me that God was speaking through him and using him to impact lives during FMYC.  Since God spoke to me in so many ways during my six days in Colorado, I want to share a few of the things that really had an impact on me.

The very first evening, Phil spoke about the passage in Luke 4 where Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James, and John to follow Him.  When Jesus called these fishermen, they dropped their nets, left their boats, and walked away with Him.  They didn't take their nets along with them as a backup plan.  They left everything that was familiar to them because they trusted Jesus.  Their total abandonment of the one thing that sustained them sends a clear message.  They trusted Jesus to be the only provider they needed.  Earning a living was no longer their primary concern because all basic needs would be met if they obeyed the call to follow the Son of God.  I am amazed at these four men because of their absolute surrender.  Most of us have our own nets that we carry around with us every day.  They are the things that hold us back from from experiencing all that God has for us.  Maybe those nets are something we think is good, but we might need to recognize the restraint it places on our relationship with God.  On the other hand, some of our nets are defined by things that bind us, hurt us, wrongly define us, and make us feel weak.  Whatever the case may be, we need to drop our nets.  They may look comforting to us at the moment, but they are preventing us from experiencing all that God has for us.  He wants all of us, and that can't happen unless we are willing to completely surrender every part of our lives to Him.  The things God has in store for us are always better than what we've been keeping from Him.

The second idea I want to share goes along with that same Bible story.  Jesus used the words "follow me" when He called the disciples.  This wasn't an accident, but let me back up for a minute before I dive into more about those two words.  The definition of the a disciple is a learner who follows the master.  An interesting point to make here is that either we are a disciple or we aren't.  Jesus calls us to follow Him and, in doing so, calls us to be a disciple.  Don't read over this too quickly and miss the point.  Jesus actively calls us to a life where we follow after Him every day.  Saying the sinner's prayer is a great thing, but it's just the beginning of the journey.  I used this analogy to explain this to my students.  Imagine that I walk up to you and ask you to get me a glass of water.  Would you say, "Sure!" but continue to stand there and look at me?  I doubt it, but that's what we do to God every time we neglect to follow Him.  To declare Jesus as the Lord of your life is to respond to His call.  Our journey through life should be shaped by the guidelines He set up for us and the plans He has made for our lives.  So, if God is asking you to get Him a glass of water today, make sure you're words and actions agree.  Following Him will almost certainly mean that we have to take a risk, but that is simply a part of having faith.

Speaking of risk, I had the opportunity to climb a bit of the Rocky Mountains while I was in Colorado.  This was one of the scariest, yet most satisfying things, I have done in my entire life.  It wasn't too difficult to get most of the way to the top just by walking, but there came a point where the only option was to climb.  After deciding that this was probably a once in a lifetime opportunity, I began to climb.  Thankfully, I didn't have far to go until I reached the top.  Once there, I sat in a crevice and just looked at my surroundings for a while.  I was eye level with the mountaintops across the valley.  The view was absolutely breathtaking.  Sitting there, thinking of my creator brought me to tears.  The pictures I took don't really do it justice, but I will share some of them at the end anyways. 

The main idea that I took away from FMYC was that I need to run after God with my entire being.  He doesn't want some half-hearted attempt at being a Christian.  He desires to see me pursue Him with all that I have in me, and I believe that is His call to all of us, Christian or not.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.  And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." 
Hebrews 12:1-3

 

My Summer Journey

I recently returned home after being gone for a month, and I think it's important that I take time to reflect on all that God did during that time.  From July 3rd to August 3rd, I found myself on three different trips in separate areas of the United States.  No matter where I was, though, it was apparent that God was with me.  It has never been so obvious to me that God is present in every location and circumstance that we find ourselves in as we go through life. He alone deserves all the glory for my experiences this summer.  If God had not planned it all out, I am sure that my summer would have looked very different.  Two of the three trips came about as a response to God's promptings in my life.  If that was not the case, I never would have planned to be gone for a month, and I also would have missed out on a lot of quality time with my creator.

In an effort to recapture many of the moments that I experienced with God, I will be posting a blog for each trip.  Before I do that, I just want to explain where I went on each trip and why I was there.  I started off my exciting adventure by going to Colorado for the Free Methodist Youth Conference (FMYC) with a group of teenagers from my church.  I am one of two youth leaders for the youth group, but I served as the main chaperone for the trip since the other leader was also working as a nurse for the conference.  My second trip took me to North Carolina where I spent some time at the beach with my family and friends.  It was a last-minute decision for me to join them on vacation, but I'm so glad that I did.  Finally, I went to Pittsburgh and volunteered with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) for a teen summer camp called Joshua Generation (JG).  JG is something that I participated in as a student for three years, and I never imagined that I would end up going back to be a volunteer staff member for this trip.  However, quite a few months ago, I received the same postcard for three weeks in a row that advertised the trip.  I thought a mistake had been made because I am too old to attend JG as a student, so I threw the first two away.  Then, one of the YWAM staff members left a message on my phone telling me about all of the opportunities they had for high school and college students over the summer.  After hearing that call and receiving the third post card, I realized that God was trying to send me a message.  He wanted me to volunteer to spend two weeks of my summer with YWAM.

I will hold off on any more details for now, but the blogs for these trips will be coming soon!
Have a blessed day, and don't miss out on what God is calling you to do.  He might even take you on a trip of your own!

Say What?

Lately, I've been reading a book by Lysa TerKeurst called Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl.  As a side note, this is the second book of hers that I have read, and I would definitely recommend that you look into her books if you are a woman who wants to grow deeper in your relationship with God.  Getting back to my main point, I was reading through chapter nine when one of the sentences jumped out at me.  Since that moment, God has been laying it on my heart that I should write about this particular sentence:

"Use your words to validate your relationship with the Lord, not negate it."

As I took in these words, I was struck by how much truth they hold.  Words have so much value and can be used to build up or to tear down.  When I was a child, I would always hear the phrase "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."  That simply is not true.  The words I say have the power to deeply harm others.  It is so important that I am careful with my words.  This includes what I tell myself as well as what I say to others and does not exclude anything that I put into writing or post online.

Keeping those things in mind, I would like to dive a little deeper into Lysa's challenge.  I'm going to start with the last part of the sentence.  Make sure that the way you use your words does not negate the relationship you have with the Lord.  This requires some honest self-evaluation.
- How do I treat others?
- Do I use a respectful tone?
- Am I letting coarse jokes slip from my lips?
- Is cursing a part of my speech pattern?
- Do my words build others up or do they tear others down?
- Would I speak differently if I imagined that God was participating in the conversation?
These are just a few of the questions that can be used to monitor our words.  It may not be easy, but it is so important to filter what we say.  If our words do not show that we are in a relationship with God, then others may be influenced to turn away from Him.  As Christians, we represent God to those around us.  We are responsible for showing His love to others, and that often comes in the form of words spoken during a conversation.  As one who can be very quiet, I know how precious words can be.  The few words I speak are usually chosen carefully, but I feel deep regret every time I utter the wrong words.  I never desire for the power of my words to be used in any way that is not uplifting.  This brings me to the next part of the challenge.

Not only should we be careful not to say certain things, but we should also be more intentional about saying positive things.  Lysa's command was not simply to talk about God all the time.  While it is good to do that, we also should be showing that we are Christians as we go about our daily lives.  To me, this means that I should strive to focus on the positive aspects of my day.  It can be very tempting to complain, but I have to remind myself of all the good things that God has given me.  As I redirect my perspective, my attitude changes to one that better resembles something that Christ might be proud of.  Another practical application for this challenge is to actively build others up.  I could complement people more often.  I could send an encouraging note to a friend.  I could let people know that I truly care for them.  There are endless ways to put this challenge into action in our daily lives.  So I will end by doing just that.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for taking this journey with me.  I am grateful for every one of you.  May God bless you and pull you closer to Himself every day.

Who? What? When? Where?

Sometimes life is just hard, and we find ourselves asking "why?"  Why did this happen?  Why did things turn out like that?  Why did it have to be me?  It's natural for us to ask these questions.  We want to know everything, and we want to know the reason for everything.  Sometimes, the unknowns can drive us crazy.  We tend to think that we will feel better or have closure if we just get an answer to this one simple question.  However, I don't think it is that simple.  I have two thoughts about this question that come from completely different angles.

My first idea is that asking "why?" can be helpful.  Sometimes we are fortunate enough to find an answer to why things happen.  When this occurs, having those answers can help us to make sense of some difficult things in life.  I think about it sort of like a puzzle.  At first you just have this one piece that doesn't make any sense, but after gathering more pieces, you have a clearer picture of your situation.  In this way, finding answers to this question can bring understanding, perspective, or closure.  This helps us to move past our uncertainty.  I believe that it also gives us some insight into how God works in our lives.  It is always amazing to look back on an event or situation and see how He had the entire plan in mind when we were still in the dark.

My second thought about this pesky question is that it can be quite detrimental.  Oftentimes, once it has entered our minds, we cannot stop asking "why?"  The question remains until we have an answer.  The problem here is that we don't always get an answer.  There are some things that we will never understand.  If we allow this to bother us, it can cause doubt to creep into our minds.  This is where trust comes into the picture.  I have found that I really don't need all of my questions answered because I know that God has a plan.  I have confidence in the fact that God is good and that He loves us more than we can imagine.  I also believe that He works for the good of those who love Him.  With that in mind, I can fearlessly say that I don't know why certain things happen.  I will never have all of the answers, and I think there is probably a reason for that too.  God has given me the confidence to be comfortable with ignorance.  Instead of asking Him why something has occurred in my life, I choose to trust His unfailing judgment.

Update: A Life of Sacrifice

It's been a little over a week since I wrote about sacrifice, and I have a confession to make: I am not perfect.  I used the word "strive" because I knew this would be a difficult task to accomplish.  Sacrifice is not meant to be easy.  It has been difficult for me to remember the goals I set for myself, and it has been even more difficult to accomplish them.  That is precisely why I have only accomplished three of my goals.  However, God is gracious and has shown me that sacrifice may be difficult, but it does not have to be painful.

 In my post about sacrifice, I mentioned that I should create a list of things that I would like to do to glorify God.  My intention was to draw my focus away from myself and back onto God.  After giving it some thought, I created a list of ten things that I believe either show God's love to someone else or demonstrate my love for God Himself.  Some of the items on my list are quite vague, such as giving someone encouragement.  Other tasks are very specific.  For example, I want to pray for the students in my youth group more often.  I included some tasks that could be crossed off the list and others that will remain even after being completed.  The way I see it, there is no limit to how many times I can pray for someone or how many people I can encourage.  If you're reading this and have never made your own sacrifice list, I encourage you to stop reading this and do so now.

If you have already made your list, read on!

While writing down all of the things that I wanted to do for The Lord, I didn't realize what I was getting myself into.  I knew sacrifice would not be easy, but I wasn't prepared for the ways it would bless me.  Accomplishing some of the goals on my Sacrifice list has certainly helped to redirect my focus.  Every time that I accomplish something, I am filled with joy.  It gives me a desire to pursue God in more ways and to share His love with those around me.

The sacrifices that I have made are not necessarily huge.  I have taken a few minutes to send a message or half an hour to pray for a friend.  However, I never thought that sacrificing just a little of my time would make this kind of difference.  It has shifted my focus, and I pray that it does the same for you.  Join me in sacrificing a little of your time every day for a week and leave a comment about how it has affected your walk with God.  In this way, we can be a source of light to those around us.

Simply Beautiful

Lately, I've been noticing that things do not have to be complicated to be hold beauty.  This thought came to me as I was trying way too hard to take a good picture that I could post on Instagram.  I love seeing photos that highlight a single object.  I think I'm drawn to them because they remind me that, even though life can be crazy and confusing, simplicity is a beautiful thing. 

I'm the kind of person that likes to constantly be doing something.  Don't get me wrong, I despise busy work as much as anyone else.  What I enjoy is doing productive work.  Relaxing is nice every once in a while, but I get bored quite easily.  That is why I have been at a loss this week.  The only thing on my schedule was a 2:30 meeting Monday afternoon.  That left the rest of my week wide open to do whatever I wanted.  I suppose I should have picked up a book or done something with a friend.  Instead, I did almost nothing.  People always say to enjoy your summer and relax.  I'm just not very good at that. 

Even as much as I like to be busy, I am learning to find peace in simplicity.  When I don't have a million things packed into one day, it is much easier to make time for God.  Spending half and hour here and there reading the Bible or sitting in His presence is truly a beautiful thing.  It can be hard to find the motivation to do this, but I always remind myself that my time on Earth is meant to serve God.  That does not mean that I must have a busy or complicated life full of activity.  Rather, one of the most important things for me to do is to spend time getting to know God.  To me, that sounds simply beautiful.

A Life of Sacrifice

Since finishing school, I have had quite a crazy summer.  I was really excited to get my blog up and running.  However, I was only able to put up one post before a family emergency stopped me in my tracks.  I took a couple weeks off from working on it, and I'm just now getting back to it.  Aside from that, I spent my evenings last week teaching children at Vacation Bible School. 

None of this sounds particularly exciting.  I have to admit that my daily life is most often quite boring.  I spend much of my time crafting, checking Instagram, and watching YouTube videos.  In my mind, it's better than doing nothing.  However, it's not exactly the most productive way to spend my time.  I would love to tell you that I spend hours every day reading my Bible, praying, planning things for my youth group, or talking with someone about God.  In all reality, that would be a lie and I've been feeling a little bad about that.  Apparently not bad enough to do anything about it though. 

During a meeting today, I was asked what Romans 12:1 meant to me.
"Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship."
I responded that I thought it referred to living your daily life in a way that would please God.  As we continued talking, the word "sacrifice" was pointed out to me.  That is when I realized that my daily life does not look like a sacrifice.  I time out of my day to spend with God, but rarely do I have to sacrifice anything to do so. 

As I left my meeting, I quickly forgot about this verse.  I went straight back to watching YouTube videos until I remembered that I had been reading through Romans for my devotions.  I wondered if I had skipped over the verse that had made such an impact on my mind earlier, so I reached for my Bible and turned to the last page I had marked.  To my surprise, I had left off at the end of chapter eleven.  The very next verse for me to read during my devotional time was none other than Romans 12:1.  As I sit here and give it more thought, I am reminded of all the ways that society has me focusing on myself.  Just a few hours ago, I watched a summer bucket list video.  Naturally, I started thinking about what I would like to do with my summer.  That's all fine and dandy, but where is the sacrifice?  Instead of making a list of things that I want to do for myself, I should be making a list of things I would like to do for God. 

It's time for me to learn what it means to offer myself as a sacrifice in view of God's mercy.  I don't deserve the love and grace that He gives me.  I often need reminded of that, but I also doubt that I'm alone in this struggle.  So as I remind myself today of all that God has done for me, I declare once again that I am not first in my life.  I will strive to be a servant living a life of sacrifice.

Hey. Hi. Hello.

Hi everyone!

It's been a few years since I first thought about starting a blog, but I guess the time is finally here for me to do so.  I just finished my first year of college and decided that I want to make good use of my time.  Blogging seems productive, and I'm sure it will also cure my boredom.

Since you probably have no idea who I am, let's start off with introductions.  My name is Megan Cook.  That part was essential, but I also find it important to explain that I am a Christian.  I have been saved by the unfathomable grace of my Lord, Jesus Christ, and I strive to live in a manner that will glorify Him every day.  A few other facts about me are as follows:  I am 19 years old, and I live in the beautiful state of West Virginia.  As I mentioned, I just completed one year at a university studying psychology.  After obtaining a bachelor's degree in this field, I plan to attend seminary and eventually become a pastor.  

 My hope for this blog is that I can simply share with you my thoughts on faith and life.  I am constantly being inspired by the things around me, from books and Instagram photos to my friends and family.  I try to find the best in this world so that I don't miss anything along the way.  I'm excited to finally be recording a small part of my life to share with others.

I hope you enjoy!