Now

Verse of the Day:
John 4:13-14


Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.


This verse is based off the woman at the well. She couldn't quite understand what Jesus was teaching her. She didn't understand how Jesus could give her living water when he didn't even have a bucket. Jesus pointed to the well water and said that whoever drinks this water would be thirsty again, but that who ever drank the water Jesus provided, they would have eternal life.

Sometimes, it's easy for us to get confused about this, too. The woman at the well wanted water at that very moment. In our own lives, we want popularity, fun, and security at this very moment. God is willing to care for us NOW. Are we willing to accept that? Or are we too lost in the things of this world that we want at this very instant?

The Simple Truth: Sometimes we get too wrapped up in the things we want RIGHT NOW that we forget that God is willing to care for us RIGHT NOW.

Pray:

Lord, help me to realize that you are always here for me. When I want earthy things at an instant, help me to realize that you can give me your care even sooner and that it is worth much more. Amen.

Let your light shine.
-Lo

Fight your Battles

Verse of the Day:
1 Corinthians 10:13


God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.


In my little life, there have been moments where I have found that I repeat to myself over and over that "I cannot do this." These trials are wide ranging from a government test, to my driving license test, to going to Europe for a month, to singing at my grandpa's funeral, to just getting through a stressful day at school. Guess what? I'm still here. I've made it through all of those times I thought I could never make it.

God knows us better than anyone else does. God knows exactly what we can handle. When God puts things into our lives that make us struggle, He KNOWS we can get through them. I know this saying is so cliché, but God puts those things into our lives to make us stronger. Those tiny battles we fight every day make us warriors for the larger problems we may face later in our lives. Know that God knows exactly what you can handle and will help you through any situation, big or little, good or bad.

The Simple Truth: God knows what we can handle and will help us fight all of our battles.

Pray:

Lord, help me to realize that I can get through anything with Your help. Help me to know that you understand me better than anyone else in this world and that you will never give me a battle I cannot handle. Be with me every day. Amen.

Let your light shine.
-Lo

Borrowing

Verse of the Day:
Psalm 24:1


The earth is the Lord's and everything in it.  The world and all its people belong to Him.


Whenever I borrow something from someone, whether it be just an shirt from my sister or a car from my roommate, I try to be as careful as possible with it to make sure that I am able to return whatever it is I borrowed from that person in the best condition possible.  If I somehow would have ruined whatever had been borrowed to me, it would be my fault and I would have to make it up to them by buying them a new shirt or paying for their car to be repaired.  I am responsible for whatever I take into my hands.

Similarly, all that we have on this earth really isn't ours.  God has given us lots of great things to have while we're here, but when we go to heaven we don't get to take any of that stuff with us.  So in a sense we're just 'borrowing' it for our lifetime.  We need to take good care of what God has given us because someday we'll need to give it back to Him and we'll be held accountable for the things that we didn't take very good care of.

The Simple Truth:  Nothing here is for keeps.

Pray:
Lord, when I am using one of the many gifts you've provided for me in this life, help me to remember that it's not really mine.  I know when I meet you face to face I will have to answer for everything I have and haven't done in this lifetime.  Help me to prepare for that by making wise decisions in this life.  Amen.

Peace, love & prayers-
K

Temptation

Verse of the Day:
Matthew 4:1-2


Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry.

Just for the record, I have to chuckle at the last part of that verse. "And he was hungry" -- after not eating for forty days and forty nights, I'm sure Jesus was a little more than starving!

Anyway, temptations are all around us. Every day. They seem so great at first, but they usually leave us feeling empty and vulnerable. Temptations can be anything from wanting to cheat on a math test to faking sick to get out of going to church. Giving into temptations may not seem like a big deal, but if they build up, they become a bigger deal. The more small temptations you give in to, the more you will get used to doing it. Then you will be tempted by even more things, and you'll keep digging a hole. It is up to us, with the help of God, to RESIST all of those daily temptations that don't seem like anything big, so we can build up a strong faith to avoid temptations to bigger situations in the future.

What are some temptations in your life? How big or small are they? What will help you resist those temptations?

The Simple Truth: Temptations are all around us. How will you resist them?

Pray:

Lord, help me determine the temptations that are in my life. Help me to resist them so I can be closer to you and so that I can resist bigger temptations that I will face in the future. Be with  me to guide me and protect me along the way.

Let your light shine.
-Lo

Get Your Ticket

Verse of the Day:
James 4:8


Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.


Once upon a time, there was a man. This man wanted money. Really bad. He decided to pray that he would win the lottery. Every. Single. Day. He was confident that God would answer his prayers and that he would soon be very rich. After an entire year of praying, he became frustrated. He had been so persistent and started to lose his confidence in God. He asked God, "WHY haven't I won the lottery? Aren't you supposed to answer my prayers?" God answered him, "You haven't got a lottery ticket."

Sometimes, this concept happens to me. I get so caught up in asking God for things over and over again, I forget that my relationship with God is a two way street. I have to be putting in time to building our relationship. I cannot constantly ask God for things. I have to thank Him as well. We have to do our part so that the Lord can do His part.

The Simple Truth: Our relationship with God cannot be simply asking for things. Have you got your 'lottery ticket'?

Pray:


Lord, help me to realize that our relationship is a two way street. Help me to thank you for things on a regular basis and to put effort into making my faith stronger.

Let your light shine.
-Lo

What Will You Do?

Verse of the Day:
Joel 2:12-13


"Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” 


It is officially Lent! I personally love Lent. I look forward to Lent. Sounds silly to some people, I would assume. Lent seems like a time of mourning and gloom. Really, it is a time to take a deeper look into your faith. A time to test your faith. A time to give something up, or even more importantly, do something more. 


In today's verse, Jesus tells us to "rend our hearts, not our garments". What does that mean exactly? A long, long time ago, people used to rip their clothes off as a sign to God that they are in deep prayer. They did it in front of many people, making everyone aware that they were living for the Lord. In this Bible verse, however, Jesus is telling us NOT to boast and to make everyone aware of our devotion to the Lord, but rather, to give him our HEARTS. To completely give up everything we are to Jesus in order to be closer to him. 


How can you do something this Lent to get closer to God? Maybe it's going the extra mile to friend someone at school. Maybe it's writing in your prayer journal every night. Maybe it's going to visit your grandma every week. Devote yourself to something like this, and write it down. Make this Lent a time to get closer to God. He's ready for us!


The Simple Truth: The Lord wants our hearts this Lent. What will you do?


Pray:


Lord, help me to not only give something up this Lent, but to do something more. Help me to give my heart to you to get closer to you and to my faith. Help me to stay strong every day this Lent, not just the first few weeks. Amen.


Let your light shine. 
-Lo

Lenttt

So I'm an avid blog reader in my spare time, and I recently came upon this blog called 'Conversion Diary', written by a woman who converted from an atheist to a Christian a few years ago.  I really liked what she had to say about Lent, so I'm sharing it with you!  Check out her blog for more interesting posts!

Conversion Diary

Christians used to ask in wonder about my life as an atheist, “Don’t you feel like there’s something missing?” To which I would respond by rolling my eyes. In my worldview, the only things humans could possibly need or want were the goals that our species had evolved to need and want, and as long as I had those things or felt certain that I could attain them (which I did), nothing could be missing from my life. I continued to pursue happiness from the possibilities given to me by the material world alone. At some point I came to the realization that the best the world has to offer was probably never going to be good enough; that achieving my wildest dreams , even my own personal version of a Super Bowl win, would make me happy to a certain extent…but not fully. It was a bitter realization.

This is why I love Lent.

For me, Lent is a reminder that what I once thought was the worst news in the world — that there is nothing in the material universe that was going to bring me the deep happiness I craved — is actually the best news in the world. To give up worldly pleasures during Lent, things that I once built my life around pursuing, is to put them in their proper place; to disentangle my hopes and dreams from things and fleeting accomplishments; to set my sights much higher.

Lent reminds me to have a healthy amount of awe for one of the greatest mysteries ever seen: that the human animal, who should know of nothing other than the material world at hand, has from the beginning held on to this perplexing notion that what he needs and wants cannot be found in the only world he’s ever seen. Almost every culture throughout history, separated by time and space, has come up with this idea. I always wrote that off when I was an atheist, assuming that people just needed stories about fantasy worlds to make themselves feel better. But now that I have discovered God’s existence, I get it. This idea won’t die because the thirst we feel deep in our souls is real, and the material world offers us only saltwater to quench it. Looking outside the material world, finding God, is to finally find the pure water that fully satisfies the aching thirst.

Lent reminds me not that all the status and comforts and possessions I’ve pursued are necessarily bad, but that there is Something infinitely better. To quote C.S. Lewis: “All that we call human history — money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery — [is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.”

I wish you all a blessed and fruitful Lent.

Peace, love & prayers-

K

A Solid Foundation

Verse of the Day:

Matthew 7:24-27

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Okay, so remember the story of the three little pigs from when you were a kid?  If not, let me refresh your memory...  There are three pigs trying to build their houses and protect themselves from the big bad wolf.  The first pig makes his house out of straw because it’s easy and then he has more time to relax and play.  The second works a little harder to make his out of sticks, which takes a little longer but still leaves plenty of time for him to have fun.  And the third pig builds his house out of bricks because he knows that even though it takes a lot more time and effort, it will be worth it in the end.  When the big bad wolf comes a-knockin’ later in the story, only the house of brick still stands. 

So I read this Bible passage the other day and realized it’s pretty much the same story.  We can build a relationship with God the easy way that takes the smallest amount of time and effort like the first pig.  Or we can commit ourselves to building a lasting relationship because even though it may take the extra time and effort, it proves to be worth it when the big bad wolf comes. 

The Simple Truth:  Build your faith on a solid foundation that won’t fall when troubles come your way.

Pray:

Lord, help me not to take the easy way out when it comes to building a relationship with you.  I know it will be worth it to dedicate myself to You, even if sometimes it seems to be easier or more fun to do earthly things. You’re the only thing in my life that is everlasting.  Amen.

Peace, love & prayers –

K

Stickin' With It

Verse of the Day:
2 Timothy 4:2


...be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable...


I have a friend who is very passionate about acting and theater. She has worked so hard on stage and off stage. She has auditioned for many plays and has signed up for voice lessons to help her singing. She is in an acting mentorship with school. She helps out backstage for plays. She is so dedicated to the theater program and becoming an actress.

Despite this, she never gets the part she wants in the plays. She shoots big (like actors should ;)) but never seems to get the parts she wants. Most people, after not receiving the part they want, give up all together. This friend, however, has done the opposite. Sure, after she gets the disappointing part she is a little upset, but her optimistic attitude makes her really unique. She keeps going and practicing, even when the odds are against her.

This friend is a great example of how persistent we should be with our relationship with Christ. Sometimes the conditions are not ideal and we get tired of keeping our faith up. We need to remember to be persistent in strengthening our relationship with God, even when times are not so favorable.

The Simple Truth: Being persistent is important when it comes to strengthening our relationship with God.

Pray:

Lord, sometimes it is hard for me to be persistent in maintaining a good relationship with You. Help me to stay  strong, even when I don't feel like it or when times are tough.

Let your light shine.
-Lo

Growing with God

Verse of the Day:
Colossians 2:7


Let your roots grow down into Him, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.  


There is a family that I have been babysitting since the oldest child was a baby.  The kids are now 8 and 5 and every time I see them I am amazed at how much they have grown and changed since the last time I was with them.  It's the smallest things - I was amazed when the 5 year old was able to talk in full sentences when I came home from college a few years ago, and now she makes some of the funniest jokes I've ever heard and has the sassy mouth of a teenager.  And the 8 year old boy is so responsible!  He knows that he has to let the dog out, practice piano, and do his homework when he gets home from school.  He is able to do so many things on his own now and it makes me realize how fast people grow.  I never realized how much these kids changed when I was with them on a more regular basis.

I think sometimes our faith grows like this too.  From day to day it doesn't seem to make many improvements.  Sometimes I think.. "I've been praying more, going to church more, talking about God more, but I STILL don't feel like my relationship with Him is growing."  But when I look at my relationship with God a year ago or even a month ago, I can see how I've grown closer to Him and how He has worked so much in my life.

The Simple Truth: Just like with the kids, the differences are hard to see but there are constantly big changes happening in your relationship with God.

Pray:  Lord, help me to not get discouraged when it feels like my relationship with You is at a standstill.  Thank You for providing me with the opportunity to be close to You and to have Your guidance and love in my life.  I know You're slowly but surely doing great things with me.  Amen.

Peace, love & prayers -
K

Taking Things For Granted

Verse of the Day:
Psalm 23:1


The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.


I started my mentorship program today with a music therapist. As of now, we are mostly working with hospice patients. These are people who are nearing the end of their lives and really have no possessions left. One woman I worked with today had a clogged tubing feed yesterday and still claimed to be having "a good week". The people I worked with today were so grateful for our service of music to them, and they made it known. 


As I was sitting there watching these patients, I put things into perspective. I was complaining only an hour earlier because I didn't want to pay for gas or because I didn't know what I should wear that day. Looking at those hospice patients, THEY were the ones who really had something they could complain about, but they didn't. They did not take for granted the things they had. 


God is our provider. Sometimes we get so caught up in what we do NOT have, that we forget to acknowledge or thank God for the things that we DO have. Try to realize that we are extremely lucky people and to take a second look at the good things in our life.


The Simple Truth: God provides us with everything we need. Take nothing for granted.


Pray:


Lord, help me to realize the great things in my life. Help me to know that You are my provider and my Shepard and that you will not abandon me. Help me to not take things for granted and to be grateful for the wonderful things in my life. Amen. 


Let your light shine.
-Lo