Dedicated to Living as His

"For in him we live and move and have our being." As some of

own poets have said, "We are his offspring."

Acts 17:28

I became a Christian when I was in the second grade. Almost thirteen years ago. I remember sitting in my dads, what felt to be enormous, office chair. My mom and dad kneeling to my eye level, leading me in a pint-sized salvation prayer. I was overjoyed, as were they. So excited to be apart of God's family, that the next day for show and tell, I told my class what I had done the night before and invited them all to my baptism. Looking back on that innocence, how easy it was and how proud I was to stand up in front of my whole class just sharing about God's love for them and I. 

Since then I've gone through valleys, broken places and disappointments, but was forever changed that night sitting in my dad's office chair. I've spent years, especially this past one, growing into that change, experience the power of that change, and learning to live by the power of the change maker, Jesus Christ. 

One of my favorite verses:

"Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness;

come before him with joyful songs.

Know that the Lord is God.

It is he who made us, and we are his;

We are his people, the sheep of his pasture."

-Psalm 100:1-3

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit,

who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not 

your own; you were bought at a price, Therefore honor God with your body."

-1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Webster's defines temple as a place or house of worship, a place dedicated for a special purpose. Our body is a temple where the Holy Spirit dwells. If I took took this temple truth seriously, would I be different?

• How would I live?
• How would I speak to myself? 
• How would I think of myself?
• Would I abuse or neglect myself?
• Would I stand in awe of God more often if I realized he was in me and work through me?

The most important thing to God is that we live in truth of who we are in him. It's hard, because we live in a society where woman are more prone to look negatively at themselves. I have struggled with my weight and appearance on multiple occasions, not as much anymore. It is hard and its a daily struggle, but I've learned to let go and let God. Through that, he showed me the true beauty inside me. I have taken my focus off myself and and appearance while doing that, it knocked down those walls and insecurities, allowing God work through me.

I challenge you to recognize what Scripture says about your life. You are meant to live a life set apart. Ask God to make these truths real to you today: 

1. That you are new.
2. You are in Christ
3. You are his temple. 
4. You do not belong to yourself, but to God.
5. You are his ambassador, you represent and are light in this dark world.
6. That he is working in you and desires to work through you. 

Right these on an index card and read them or put it it where you will see daily. I put mine in my wallet :) Remember and believe that YOU are a Representative of Christ in this world, and that he desires to work threw you. 

Living Loved

"I have loved you with an everlasting love;

I have drawn you with loving-kindness. 

I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt."

Jeremiah 31:3-4

Throughout high school, in the back of my head, I always thought about what would happen if I were to be in a car accident? Wondering who would show up to the hospital? Who really cared about me or who loved me? Some days it was just a thought, other days it was a hope. 

I thought of myself as not enough. Whether it be in my school work, at home, with boys, if I was skinny enough, or with sports. As I got older, I learned to hide those fears and insecurities with the right words, appearance and actions. I saw myself in a way that was not God's view of me at all and I was trying to find love in the wrong places. My junior year and senior year of high school, I wasn't necessarily doing the wrong things, but I moved further away from God. At that point in my life, I had a self focus instead of being Christ centered. Jesus always had something more.

Truth: 

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should

 be called children of God! And that is what we are!" -1 John 3:1

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God it love." -1 John 4:16

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners,
Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8

When it comes to following Christ, we need to do so by following the melody of his love for us. We need to pour God's love into our mind so it can make its way into our hearts. Because we can't see or touch him, it is not natural to live feeling loved by God. We learn to live loved by taking his word of truth by faith. We are his children and he wants to provide for us. The care, protection, love and direction that we need. When we allow him into our hearts, He replaces our fears with a wonderful peace. He showers us with his love and when realized by faith, can calm us, center us, and builds a confidence in us.

There are a few things I realized.
When we live as one who is loved:

• We live differently, a journey with the Father
• We have a changed viewpoint, our focus is the bigger picture of God's unseen plan
• We can walk in faith, believing in something we cannot see, but dare to hope for

 This week is going to challenge me a little bit. I need to think about how am I going to show love to someone that maybe I normally wouldn't? At work? At home? With friends? And pray for those situations that the lord brings me to. To not look for love from people, but focus on the true love God has for me. I need to remember that without faith, it is impossible to please our heavenly father and I need to ask God to help me in areas with any unbelief regarding my true identity as his daughter and to remind myself of the truth that God lavishes his love on me. Bring it on!

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" -Romans 8:31