Forgiveness

               I love when God reveals things to me, even if He does it in the midst of my weakest times. So what have I learned recently? Christians need forgiveness too. I have accepted Jesus into my heart. I have been forgiven and strive to live life not for myself but for Jesus. I study God's word, fellowship with other believers  and spend time with God. So why do I still need forgiveness. I shouldn't right? I've already been forgiven. I'm a Christian now so I should no longer do anything that causes forgiveness to be needed. Wrong. Being a follower of Christ does NOT make you perfect or in any less need of forgiveness than someone who isn't a believer. Sometimes this can be hard to accept. When we are truly in love with Christ and are following Him in our lives, failing and messing up can take a pretty big hit on us. We can become mad at ourselves and think things like "I can't believe I just did that, I knew it was sinful and wrong." Accepting Jesus into our hearts and becoming a Christian does not mean we are perfect, we are still going to fail, give into temptation, hurt others and so on.That is why it is so important to understand the depths of forgiveness. Jesus didn't say, "I'll forgive you once and that's it." He has forgiven everything we've done and everything we will do. All we have to do is ask. We are sinners. Messy, broken, and dirty people who no matter how much we serve God, deserve to worship Him or come face to face with Him in heaven. The good news out of all of this? We get to experience how wonderful God's grace is. The fact that He continually offers forgiveness throughout our whole lives is amazing. Don't ever think that because you are strong in your faith you don't deserve forgiveness when you mess up. Because no one deserves it, but God gives it anyways. I learned this lesson today and it's really opened my heart and mind to the depths of God's love. You're never to strong or far in your faith to learn more. So if you're struggling with somethings and find yourself failing and falling into your desires, don't beat up on yourself. Repent, accept the grace that is freely yours, and pray for God's help to give you the strength you need in order to forgive yourself. And here is a great bible verse for all of us to remember when we fail, sin, or do something wrong.

            For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hebrews 4:15-16

Oceans

Hey everyone! So I was introduced to an absolutely beautiful song over the weekend. I was just listening to Pandora and all of a sudden it comes on and I was like "woah this is powerful." The song is Oceans by Hillsong United and it is so uplifting! If you haven't heard it, go listen to it now. Anyways I love the part of the song that is placed in the picture above. It really got me thinking about my own life and how I trust God. When we allow our trust in God to be without borders amazing things begin to happen.By putting complete trust in God we open the doors for Him to do amazing things with our lives.  God will lead you places that you never thought you could go. I look at my life and see the places God has taken me, the people I have met, and the things that I have  gotten to do and will be getting to do in the future. I realize that these things happened because, by the help of the Holy Spirit, I knocked down the walls that I limited my faith too. We can't put a rope around our trust in God. We have to trust Him more than we trust anything. It's so important to remember that God is our creator and He knows what our future holds. He designed everything in us and about us. Obviously He knows what's best for us, and when you allow that mindset to take control of your life you will find yourself trying to catch your breath at the beauty of what God is doing with your life.  God calls us to go out on a limb, out unto the unknown where we may become scared of what's to come but like this lovely song says, You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
When we go out into the deep not only will we find God there but He will carry us into something extraordinary. My encouragement for you today is to throw away the fear that is holding you back from the amazing life God has laid out for you. Pray that God will help you step out of bondage and into His marvelous light. Open your heart to the Lord and He will give you more than you could ever imagine.

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. - Psalm 37:5-6

Sharing my Testimony.

Hey guys! So last night I got the amazing opportunity to share my testimony at a Women's night. It was so awesome! Getting to see God use me to glorify Him is the most rewarding feeling ever. I hope you all enjoy this video and can take something away from it!

            Why is my pain unending

    and my wound grievous and incurable?

You are to me like a deceptive brook,

    like a spring that fails. Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you

    that you may serve me;

if you utter worthy, not worthless, words,

    you will be my spokesman.

Let this people turn to you,

    but you must not turn to them.

I will make you a wall to this people,

    a fortified wall of bronze;

they will fight against you

    but will not overcome you,

for I am with you

    to rescue and save you,”

                                                  declares the Lord.                      Jeremiah 15:18-20

Here's my testimony!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=565475863513328

Suicide Prevention Week

                                    Hey guys so it's suicide prevention week. Suicide is a serious thing and I don't think a lot of people realize that. There's a problem when people don't feel good enough to live. I think that as Christians it is our job to show people that their life matters and that they are so worth it to a point that this guy died for them over 2,000 years ago (Jesus). A friend of mine sent me this story they wrote based off of personal experience and a bible verse that encouraged her and gave her strength. 

           "The night that the cops came was the hardest. It was about 11:30 and I had just settled down to go to bed for the night when I heard the loud fast banging on the door. My heart began to race and I was scared, so I wrapped my blanket around myself tightly and squinted my eyes shut hard. I heard my step-dad get up and answer the door. About three minutes later he rushed to my room and pushed open my door."Give me your phone right now! If these men are telling me that happened, actually happened, we're going to have a serious talk," he said sternly and somewhat discombobulated. My hands shook when I reached to disconnect my phone from its charger, and I handed it to him not knowing what was going on. After another fifteen minutes, he came back into my room more calm and asked me to talk to the policeman in the living room. My palms were sweaty and my heart was racing, but I did as my step-father asked and I got out of bed and went out to the living room. There were two policemen standing near my fireplace, my mother was sitting on the couch with a red, tear stricken face, and my step-dad was standing off to the side looking down." Hi there," the taller policeman on the right said, "We've just got a few questions for you. To start, did you send any texts tonight that might have scared some people?" "I-I-I- don't know what you're talking about," I replied with a stutter. However, at that moment, I knew exactly what he was referring to.Just a few hours earlier I had dug my nails into my rib cage multiple times and I had sent the red marks on my skin to my best friend. She then asked me lots of questions, like if I had ever thought of cutting myself or committing suicide, and I answered yes to all of them. I put two and two together and realized that she had called the police and sent them to my house. Knowing that she was trying to help me, I told the police everything while my mother and step-dad listened and cried, they had no idea how much pain I had been going through. Once the police collected everything they needed to know, they left me with a phone number to call if I ever felt like I was going to hurt myself. They left, and my parents tried to talk to me but the only person I wanted was my best friend. I asked my parents if they could bring her over, and they did. Within another fifteen minutes, she was at my house. We hugged and cried for hours, and she explained to me how it was hard for her to call, but she was scared and didn't want me to die. To this day I am thankful for what my best friend did, because if she wouldn't have taken that drastic step to save me, I don't think I would be here."


                             I love God because he listened to me, listened as I begged for mercy. He listened so intently as I laid out my case before him. Death stared me in the face, hell was hard on my heels. Up against it, I didn't know which way to turn; then I called out to God for help: "Please God!" I cried out. "Save my life!" God is gracious- it is he who makes things right, our most compassionate God. God takes the side of the helpless; when I was at the end of my rope, He saved me.   Psalm 116:1-6



  Well good news. Actually glorious news. My friend is doing amazing, she is so much stronger. I've seen her grow drastically from that period in her life and that kind of growth can only come from The Lord. Remember to speak up. Like the friend did in this story. Be kind and watchful, you could be saving someones life. And don't forget you are so worth it. Your story is part of a even bigger story and God is the author. I hope you guys can find some encouragement in this. Share the message and pass on the love. 


                                                             Love,
                                                                 Sofia


                                     

Mary's song

46-55 And Mary said,

I’m bursting with God-news;
    I’m dancing the song of my Savior God.
God took one good look at me, and look what happened—
    I’m the most fortunate woman on earth!
What God has done for me will never be forgotten,
    the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others.
His mercy flows in wave after wave
    on those who are in awe before him.
He bared his arm and showed his strength,
    scattered the bluffing braggarts.
He knocked tyrants off their high horses,
    pulled victims out of the mud.
The starving poor sat down to a banquet;
    the callous rich were left out in the cold.
He embraced his chosen child, Israel;
    he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high.
It’s exactly what he promised,
    beginning with Abraham and right up to now

 I am so inspired by these verses. As you know Mary was Jesus' mother. She had just received news from the angel Gabriel that she would give birth to a son who would be a "great ruler'' and would have "no end, ever, to His kingdom." Although this at first seemed quite absurd to Mary, "34 Mary said to the angel, “But how? I've never slept with a man.” she trusted God and was ready for His will to take place in her life. "Yes, I see it all now:I’m the Lord’s maid, ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say." Did you hear that (or in this case I guess read it) Marry said that she is ready to serve. She was ready to let go of her fears and doubts and put all of her hope in The Lord, she was ready to play out the will He had given her. I think that this is something we can all learn from Mary. Her willingness to do what God needed her to do is the exact kind of willingness God wants from us. And because Her willingness look what happened, She raised Jesus! How awesome is that! It's amazing what God can do for us once we start to obey Him. After Mary receives this news, she suddenly becomes full of joy and shares her excitement in one of my all time favorite bible verses. Mary is rejoicing in The Lord. She is worshiping Him and lifting up His name because of the wonderful things He is doing and the promises that He has kept. I love the part when she says "His mercy flows in wave after wave." God's mercy is so constant just like the waves in the ocean. It's so beautiful to think about God constantly washing us, forgiving us. I also love the end where it says "It's exactly what He promised." God doesn't change and neither do His promises. That's so comforting to think about. Saving, Blessing, and Forgiving. That's what this passage speaks to me. God saves us through Jesus, blesses us through Jesus, and forgives us through Jesus. Let's all look to Mary as an example of a willing servant who was saved, blessed and forgiven by God all because of her willingness to see The Lord's plan come through, no matter what the cost. 

                        Love,
                           Sofia

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Dreaming of Grace

Hi guys! So a friend of mine had to write a paper for one of their classes in school about what it would be like to meet God after leaving out of class. I though it was amazing and worth sharing so here it is.

                                     "I awoke to a bang, everything was dark. Last I knew I had been in my first class dozed off during the lecture. I opened my eyes wide to make sure I was awake, yet everything remained pitch black. I called out the word hello and received no response. I reached to grab my phone from my back pocket, but nothing was there; not even me. It seemed that I was a type of ghost, and I was petrified. It did not feel as if I was standing on ground or in the middle of a building, the only thing I could feel was a stinging could feel was a stinging chill that would come and go. Before me an image of a lighter and razor blade appeared, which triggered painful memories of my past. The image changed to flaming wings chained to the ground. Blood oozed over the chains and they were broken, releasing the wings. The wings were no longer on fire and ascended until I could view them no longer. All of a sudden, light gradually began to surround me. I could look up, down, or to the sides but there was only light to be found; no sky, no ground, buildings, or people. Even though I was seemingly alone, I felt warmth and comfort; the piercing cold vanished. A formidable voice declared among the space, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Be strong and courageous." With that, the light faded until the classroom was visible once again where I found myself seated as I had remembered, only now I was ready to proclaim the galvanizing words of encouragement I had received from The Lord."

 Wow. This just makes me want to praise The Lord. His grace is so abundant. I'm so thankful that this was written, it shows a glimpse of what God has to offer. The breaking of chains! Chains that bind us in grief, depression, sin, pain, or whatever it might be. By the blood of Jesus these chains can and will be broken....."If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking."

"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ: you have       
fallen away from grace."  Galatians 5:4


Imagine this. You are given a long list of things to do. Not just simple things but difficult tasks.
                         1)Run 20 miles at 6 in the morning.
                         2) Make 100 rolls of Sushi in twenty minutes by 7 in the morning.
                         3) Take the next door neighbors five dogs for a walk while making an important business deal on the phone.
                        4) Learn how to speak Chinese in four days.
                        5) Gain eighty pounds in one week.

I know these things are weird and random but keep imagining. Now imagine that you would get a prize, a huge great amazing prize that you have been longing for so long and that you truly desire. But you can only get this special prize if you complete the list above.In your mind you're probably thinking "Well I'm never getting that prize."  This is what so many Christians do. We make laundry lists of the things we think we need to complete in order to achieve grace, salvation, and God's love. Are list probably look more like this.
               1)Go to Church
               2) Be kind to others
               3) Don't cuss
               4) Stay away from drugs
               5) Don't lie or steal
             6) Don't have sex until marriage
And the list goes on and on and on. The problem is this. Grace, Salvation, and God's Love are not things we can earn. They are not things we can work for and achieve. It's not something we can win. They are gifts. God's Love is always there whether you choose to believe it or not. And salvation is put into our life's as soon as we receive the good news of Jesus Christ. So many of us try to work and work at being a "good Christian" but we rarely ever try to let God work in us to make us become more like Him. That's what it's all about, that's the big picture. You see none of our deeds can compare the the greatest deed of all. Which was Christ dying for our sins. God graciously gave us grace because of his unfailing love for us, and we can not work to achieve those things. Like it says in the bible verse above if you try to justify your selves by rules and guidelines, you are falling away from Christ. You're forgetting that Grace is not earned but it is a gift. Some people will argue "But doesn't God call us to do good works, to follow his law and command?" Yes he does! But you see as we fall in love with God and his glory, He transforms us from the inside out. Him not us. If it were up to us we would constantly be in this struggle thinking we have to earn God's love. But it's not up to us it's up to God, and when we truly surrender ourselves to him we start to do these list of things not because we feel like we have to but because we desire with all of our hearts to do so. When you love God so much his commands are your way of life and you love and honor them."This is love for God: To obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome." 1 John 5:3  That doesn't mean you won't mess up, but that's when Grace steps in. The whole point of this is to realize that we can't do it on our own. That making a mental list of things to do in order to be a Christian is pointless. The point is Christ died for us, God loves us with an everlasting love. And once we accept these truths, God starts to work in us and change our hearts to be more like him and less like the world.


Because it doesn't depend on me it depends on him
See because when I was God's enemy and certainly not a fan
He looked down and said I want, that, man
Which is why Jesus hated religion, and for it he called them fools
Don't you see so much better than just following some rules Not based on my merits but Jesus's obedience alone- Jeff Bethke