Indescribable

Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens?
- Isaiah 40:12

I have always known that I serve a big God, but it wasn't until yesterday that I truly realized how big He is and how very small I actually am. Last night for church we watched the movie Indescribable featuring speaker Louie Giglio and what I saw opened my eyes.

Have you ever had that moment when you look up at the stars and feel so small compared to the vast universe all around you? Well trust me, it's so much vaster than I ever imagined. Below is an image shown in the movie Indescribable.

This photo is called "The Pale Blue Dot". See that small speck in the beam of light to the right? That's us... that's Earth from 3.7 billion miles away. Talk about feeling small.

At first I really wasn't a fan of this feeling. Then I started thinking, out of the entire universe that God created, long ago He chose to come to our pale blue dot. He chose to come to the Earth He made and die on a cross for our sins. Out of all the universe, He chose us as His children. I don't know about you, but I've never felt so loved.

Approximately 31 million light years away is the Whirlpool Galaxy.

At the center of this galaxy is this...

The Hubble telescope took this photo of the X Structure at the core of the Whirlpool Galaxy. To me this just reminds me that God is everywhere. He is in all of creation. I can look at a sunset or at this photo or into my husband's eyes and know that God made it all and He's in it all. He is at the center of the Whirlpool Galaxy and at the very center of each one of us. God is my Father, my Savior, He is amazing... there are not enough words to describe or praise Him. Our God is truly indescribable.

- Nicole

If I had a Million Dollars...

“I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
- Matthew 17:20

  

Over the past few days virtually everyone has had Mega Millions on the mind. You couldn't turn on the television, listen to the radio, or even glance at the Internet without seeing or hearing about the $640 million dollar jackpot. One of my Facebook friends even compared Mega Millions to the Golden Ticket in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.

I must say it's true. It's something everyone dreams about. "It could be me. I could be the winner." Even though I don't play the lottery, I did get swept up in the Mega Millions mindset today. While cuddling next to my husband for an afternoon nap, my mind drifted and settled upon the question "What on earth would we do with $640 million dollars?"

Most people say that they would at least donate some of their lottery winnings to their church or a deserving charity. Everyone wants to give back and do something good when they have an abundance of money or good fortune, but that got me thinking... what happens if you never win the lottery of your dreams?

The philosopher Edmund Burke once said “Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little.”  He is the same man who said, "All it takes for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." Clearly, Edmund Burke was not a fan of laziness. He wanted action! Jesus wants the same thing for us today. Jesus said even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains! We don't need large sums of money to do God's will. It's often the simple random acts of kindness that make the biggest difference.

Each day we need to be doing what we can with what we have... no matter how little that may be. It may be a kind word to a friend or stranger, cleaning up a local park with your friends, giving a homeless person a meal, or tithing what you can on Sunday morning. The point is, we don't need great amounts of wealth, fame, or power to do great things. We just need faith and the will to do it.

- Nicole

Give Thanks

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

- Psalm 107:1

I woke up this morning, wrapped warmly in my white down comforter, and saw the most beautiful golden sunlight pour in from my window. It still smelled like sleep all around me and I didn't want to step foot on the cold floor beneath me just yet. I laid a moment longer and thought about the day ahead. The creamy mashed potatoes, the moist turkey, the sweet and sticky peach cobbler that I would devour later today encompassed my thoughts. While my mind was wandering and my mouth was watering, another feeling swept over me. I couldn't believe how blessed I am.

I have a wonderful husband to wake up to every morning, a great job, a cozy apartment to call home, and above all else, I have my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with all of this. No matter how long I pray, I could never thank God enough for all that He has given me and all that He continues to bless me with each day. So on this day, when we give thanks for our family, friends, and all that God has given us, I want to give more than thanks. I want to share the blessings God has given me with others in need. 

In a movie that is close to my heart, one character sings these words: "I can love because God loved me. I can give because God gave. Jesus' love is why I'm smiling - Why I'm giving every day." I don't give to be happy, I give because I am happy. God has put these words on my heart this morning, I hope they rest on your heart as well. 

- Nicole

P.S. The movie I refered to is Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving... one of my favorite VeggieTales movies! It does a wonderful job of inspiring us to give to others, as recipients of God's abounding love and grace.

Just Do It

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I do it in bed, I do it in the living room, in the kitchen, sometimes even quick at work, but my favorite place to do it is in the car. I'm talking about praying!

I feel like sometimes people have misconceptions about prayer. If you imagine someone praying right now, what does it look like? Most people probably picture someone knelt down, head bowed, and reciting the Lord's prayer in a large church with soft rays of sun peaking through the stained glass windows. Don't get me wrong, a church is a perfect place for prayer. Often that's when we may feel closest to God... in His house! But praying isn't restricted to the four walls of a church... we can pray anywhere, at anytime, and God is always there and ready to listen.

Prayer is defined as "communicating with God". Think how much we talk to our friends, parents, co-workers, husbands, wives... the list is endless. We communicate so frequently with those important people in our lives, so why do we only speak to God on Sundays? Moreover, why do we often only speak to God when we find ourselves in a sticky situation? When we lose our job, lose a loved one, get into an accident, and so on, God is the first one we call on. He is always right there with us in our times of need, but as soon as things start to look up, we often leave God by the wayside.

We can't just wait until things go wrong to call on God. He shouldn't be our last resort, He should be our first priority. Of course, we should always pray to God in our times of need, but we should also thank Him during our times of prosperity. We need to be praying continually. Praise Him and pray to Him in both the good and bad times, and give thanks to Him always, no matter what!

So where are you going to do it? In bed, on the floor, in the car, or outside in the park? It doesn't matter where you do it, find the place that's right for you, and just do it... pray!

- Nicole

Let Love In

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
- 1 John 4:16 

God is Love. It says it right there in the Bible. God defines love and love defines God. God loves us so much that when He made us, He gave us the ability to make our own choice whether or not we choose to love Him back. To me, that is true love. You can’t force someone to love you.

For me there is no doubt that I love God with all of my heart and that I would be lost without Him. The problem I have sometimes is loving myself. Ever since I was younger I’ve had this problem. Physically I look fine and I constantly have a smile on my face, so you would never know there is anything wrong with me. The problem’s on the inside. Even though I have a group of people that I know love me completely, I still feel like I’m not good enough or that I’m not worth it sometimes. My fiancé and one of my best friends know this about me. Luckily, whenever they used to see me slipping into that ocean of self-pity they would sing me the song “Just the Way you Are” by Bruno Mars. Then one day my friend really explained it to me in a way that I could understand. She said, “Imagine God singing this song to you!”

In one of the lines, the song says “Her eyes make the stars look like they’re not shinning. Her hair, her hair falls perfectly without her trying. She’s so beautiful and I tell her every day”. The song goes on to say “You’re amazing just the way you are”. Those words still to this day make me smile because I know this is the way my God feels about me.

God doesn’t make mistakes. God planned for us before we were even born. Every aspect about our looks and personality God personally hand crafted. I’m not going to lie sometimes a little voice in the back of my mind still whispers “You’re not good enough. No one will ever really love you”, but now I can push that voice away because I know it’s a lie. Not only do I have an amazing man, family, and friends that love me, I have God who loves me more than I could ever imagine.

A few Sundays ago my pastor said, “Jesus died for ALL of us. That means if you were the only person on Earth you have to believe that Jesus still would have died on the cross just for you”. I believe that with all my heart. I will never again let anyone, not even myself, say that I’m not good enough or that I’m not loved because I have God who created everything beautiful in this world, who also created me and loves me unconditionally, forever and ever, amen.

If you’re feeling down, please listen to the song below and know that God is singing those words to you. Also, open up the Bible and read how many times and in how many ways God tells us and shows us that He loves us.

Thank you God for filling my life with LOVE and making me just the way I am!

- Nicole

Overcoming the World

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.  - John 16:33

We live in a world that is full of God’s presence. I can hear God’s voice whenever a breeze blows through the tree branches and rustles the leaves. I can see God’s beauty in every sunset when warm oranges and pinks swirl across the open sky. I can feel God with me whenever I pray, He’s there listening to my every worry and care. But even though God is all around us, sometimes we still close our eyes and don’t allow ourselves to see Him. We let the standards, worries, and judgments of the world blind us and get the better of us.

To be completely honest, there are probably about a hundred things that could get the best of me each day if I let them. For instance, I hear people make hurtful comments and remarks about others, I see the hallways and stairwells of my dorm littered with beer cans, I hear about people getting drunk every single weekend without fail, and I see people who don’t go out of their way to help anyone even in the smallest way possible. It honestly breaks my heart. Amidst all the pure meanness and carelessness of the world it’s easy to give in, break down, and lower your standards. It’s easy to join in and gossip about others, go out and drink with your friends, and look out for yourself instead of others, but God wants better for us than that.

God never said life would be easy, in fact he said “in this world you will have trouble”, but He has gone through it as well. Jesus came to the world for us and experienced all the trouble and pain that can be inflicted on us, but He overcame the world. He overcame sin and death so we can have peace and eternal life! I know I can’t stop people from saying or doing hurtful things, but I can be an example for God. I can live my life the best that I can, following His commandments, and try to be a light for others. Even though this world may get me down sometimes, I know through it all I will have in my heart the peace that only God can give.

This week I pray that you don’t give into the standards that this world has for you. Be better than that and set your sights higher. Be prepared, it will be hard, but have heart, God has overcome this world and He can give you the peace to overcome it as well!

“Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart”
– Author Unknown

Spread the Word

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

- Matthew 28:19-20

I love this Bible quote simply because it shows the power of words. In this verse, called The Great Commission, Jesus is basically telling His disciples to go spread the word. Yet, it's much more than that. Jesus cares for us so much that He doesn't want one person to have to live or die without knowing Him as their Savior. Jesus wants His disciples to use their words and tell everyone they encounter about God's commandments and His unfailing love. He wants everyone to know that they are never alone... He is with us always "to the very end of the age".

So what impact are your words having on other people? Are you lifting people up with encouraging words or talking about people behind their backs? Most importantly, are you spreading God's word? I just watched a movie today called The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry and in it, Mr. Sperry says, "It’s easy to put others down, anyone can do that. But you be different. Stand up for kindness. Show the love of Jesus in everything you say and sometimes what you don’t say”. To me, this resonates to be very true. Think of how many words we say in just one day. Are those words kind or discouraging? Do those words include anything at all about Jesus?

In our world, so many generations are growing up not knowing God. You can change that. There are so many ways to share God's word. Just a few of them are: simply telling others about the church you attend, inviting others to your local Bible study or Youth Group, telling others about your relationship with God and how He has changed your life, putting a Bible verse as your Facebook status, or donating a Christian children's book to a family or friend with children. 

If you are shy, but still want to spread God's word into the world, here is a fun way to do so. Get a post-it and write a short message on it. At the bottom of the post-it include the name of a Bible verse that has had a strong impact on you. Now stick that post-it somewhere random: on a bathroom mirror, in a book at the library, or on a park bench. Then just have faith that the person who needs to see that message will see it. Just make sure not to stick it somewhere you will get in trouble for, such as on a police car. Not a good life choice.

If you do stick a post-it somewhere please take a picture and post it here. I would love to see how creative everyone gets spreading the word :)

- Nicole