A page from my journal.

Here's what I wrote in my journal. I thought I'd share it all with you.

"Sometimes there are moments when I doubt myself. I'm unsure of who I am, and I think the worst about myself. But I need to ask myself, "Do you doubt your Creator?" When I question my worth, I question my Creator. In the Psalms, it says, "You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." This verse speaks to the value we have as human beings. It shows us we are so precious in our Father's sight. No matter what we're feeling, God still adores us and think highly of us.

It's hard sometimes to believe that. I often struggle making the connection between how God sees me and how I see myself. But deep down inside, if I dig deep enough, I eventually come to the realization of my worth in Christ. After all, He sees me as a treasure and a jewel. So why shouldn't I see myself that way?

From now on, I'm not going to be looking back at my life with despair and guilt. I'm going to be looking at myself, claiming that I am a beloved, treasured, valued daughter of God."

Impure thoughts...

So I was contemplating this week about the purity of my thoughts. It's not something I think about much, but I think it is an important topic to discuss. So many times, I've started thinking one thing, and then before I know it, my thoughts drift toward fleshly desires, or sins such as greed, envy, or selfishness. I'm reminded of the passage in the Bible to "take every thought captive" and subdue it to Christ. It is something I need to be on careful guard against. As well, I know that what I watch or listen to affects my thoughts positively or negatively. If I watch a tv show based around materialism, selfishness, or sexual immorality, then that is what I will think about. However, if I am constantly listening to worship music or watching uplifting movies or tv shows, I tend to think impure thoughts less. It's not necessarily the initial thought that's wrong, but the obsession it can lead to if it gets too out of hand.

I wanted to write this today to encourage you to take a stand against a lustful or selfish thoughts and bring them before the Lord! He is able to cleanse and renew us day by day.

Cleansing from dishonor

2 Timothy 2:21-22 states, "Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the dishonor, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

I was thinking about how amazing God is, and how He is constantly cleansing us from sin if we turn to Him. This past Sunday, my pastor talked about how the Lord will refresh and renew our Spirits and freely give us courage. That is an amazing thought, that we don't need to be afraid in this life because we have the Lord with us. I know I was afraid this past week, afraid of completing all my homework, and afraid of a job interview I had scheduled over the weekend. But God was faithful, and He did give me courage to go in confidently at that interview. And I actually got the job! Now I'm full of thanks to God for his faithfulness and loving care.

Remain in God's Love

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love."

John 15:9-14 describes the depths of Jesus' love and His desire for us to love others in the same way. But it can be hard to love others like that. When people treat us unfairly or cut us off, we want to retaliate in anger. We need to remember to ask the Lord to give us the strength to show love and grace to others even when we don't want to. A little bit of love goes a long way!

I find that if I haven't spent that time in communion with God and in the Word, I find it difficult to show love to others, especially when I'm feeling moody or irritable. But I always to to stop every now and then throughout the day to reflect on God's love for me. Try it out for yourself. Often a verse will pop into my head that really encourages me. One that I found quite helpful recently was John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Since I'm memorizing the book of John for the Bible quizzing program at my church, I've just been soaking up all these amazing verses in John. I'll probably do several posts throughout the year on different passages in John, so stay tuned!

Our God is "Mighty to Save"

So many of my favorite worship songs come directly out of Scripture. For instance, the song "Mighty to Save" from Hillsongs quotes Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV): "The Lord your God is with you; He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

As I was meditating those words, I marveled at how true they were. God is mighty to save. All-powerful, all-knowing, it impossible to comprehend His character. But thinking about it sure makes me happy, since the Lord is so powerful, and I can put my trust in Him. This great and mighty God will always stick by my and knows what will happen before it happens. I don't need to be scared because He is with me. My God is mighty to save.

Escaping...

As I was pondering about random things this past week, something rather significant struck me. I realized that much of my time and energy is spent trying to escape the world I live in. Whether it be in a movie, watching YouTube videos, or reading a book, I often invest much of my time in forgetting about life for a while and being swept up in something else.

As I thought about that, I realized that many of us are like me. We long to be somewhere we're not and aren't satisfied with where we are right now. Obviously, there are legitimate reasons why we're unsatisfied with our current position. Maybe we're struggling with our work. Or maybe our life isn't going in the direction we'd planned. Maybe we're simply bored with the in-between, to where we want to be.

Whatever the reason, I've realized how important it is to live in the moment and not spend too much time in fantasy worlds or escape. We need to realize the little wonders around us and relish where we are right now. If we waste much of our time looking towards our "destination," we'll miss out on the journey.

So I end this post wanting to enjoy the journey a little bit more. I want to laugh with my friends and family, savoring every moment, because time passes so quickly. I want to work my best at the job I am currently in.

2010...the start of a new year and decade.

It is finally 2010. A new year and a new decade have come. Ten years ago, everyone was all in a tizzy over the whole "Y2K" problem. And now look at where we are today.

I usually don't make New Year's Resolutions because I don't see the point in them. I'll probably just break them after a month or so, so why bother? But this year, the start of a new decade, I wanted to continue to live out my life to the best of my ability. Not begin a new resolution, mind you, but rather continue in this ongoing journey called life.

In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul writes "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old has gone; the new has come!"

This year, I want to push myself. I don't want settle for second best. That applies to all my activities, whether school, work, or anything else. Whatever I am doing, I want to put my whole heart into it. I want to give freely, love freely, and live freely.