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The Reality of God's love and Worship.

Woah whatta crazy topic. i can't believe I'm going to tackle it. Of course it's been something that has been on my heart... Sometimes i just get like literally blown away by God's love. Like last night I couldn't sleep because God's love was just so real to me. It's crazy how he does that. No one in the world could know that you are suffering so bad, but God knows, but He has this special way of doing something about your hurt and suffering that no one else can do. His love is like no other love in the world. You can't get it from a boyfriend, your best friend, your mom, even your dog or something. You can't find a love like this ANYWHERE. It's the best and one of a kind. Guess what you have to do to get it? NOTHING. That's what is so stinkin special about it, even if you just committed a murder He still loves you. Think about that and let it sink in for a little bit. It brought me to tears when I finally got it. Guys God, the creator of the universe loves you with this unconditional love that no one else can give you. Are you still feeling alone? I'm not..

Okay worship, another thing that is SO precious. I don't think most of us understand how important and sacred it is. It wasn't until I found myself with few friends that I actually understood worship. I was alone most nights and there wasn't anything else for me to do but worship God. I was in my room and just worshiped Him. When you get quiet before Him and just simply talk and pour your heart to Him, powerful things happen in you. You can't understand it until you do it. I was also in chapel the other day and I felt God it there. It's so SO SO incredibly cool when a bunch of people are gathered together and singing and praising God. My heart was so full at that moment.

He loves YOU. Yes YOU. I don't know who reads this blog, but I wish I could talk to every single on of you and tell you how much you matter and how much your heavenly father loves you. It doesn't even matter what you've done or thinking of doing. Do you ever feel like you're not good enough to talk to God? Or you've just been in such a bad place where you think He won't accept you back? I'm telling you, there is nothing you could have possibly done that would make Him love you less. Confess that until you believe it.

Do you ever get up, just feeling like crap? Like life isn't worth it or your life just is just worthless with no meaning? The advice I have for you is change your attitude and view on life. When your attitude changes your world changes. I'm actually talking to myself. I'm going to be honest my attitude about school lately has been awful. I love my school with my whole heart, but being alone all the time makes school the worst. I just go to school and "get through the day." I want more out of my life yah know? My sister Lexi told me about her roommate and how she loves to learn. Isn't that weird? That's what I thought at first, but then I thought about it and like what the heck learning can be so great. I GET to go to school and learn, it's amazing how the brain works. And the other night I actually enjoyed studying. Haha that's so weird for me. So bottom line is change your attitude if you aren't happy with life. You have a purpose and God loves YOU. I hope you are blessed and never give up.

Thanks for reading my thoughts.

Fear.

So I was in church this morning and it was one of those sermons where i felt like it was written just for me. The topic was fear and there were some great points made.

Do you ever notice how fear comes in times of physical, emotional, and spiritual tiredness? Because that is when you are at your lowest and weakest, it's the easiest for the devil to destroy at that time. It's harder to call on God at that time. But Jesus usually waits to be asked to intervene. He waits for you to ask for help. We're usually so selfish to think that God can't help us with our problems and we try to handle them on our own. We kind of tend to even push God away even and avoid Him. When we are dealing with tough stuff and you are scared to face the problem, is the first thing that pops in your head is to ask for God's help? If not, you might want to rethink your strategy.
 Practical steps to conquering fear:

• ADMIT fear to God
• CALL to God for His power
• RELEASE fear to Him
• ASK God to increase your faith

These things are easier said then done, I'm sure we all know this. And I've been thinking, when we are supposed to give thanks to God in all circumstances, like that can be SO hard, and I know that sounds kind of bad because He's given me so much well He's given me everything, but what happens when we go through something tough like we're just supposed to praise God for being in that situation? Yeah.. we are. It's not an easy thing to do. But just because it's not an easy thing to do doesn't mean that we're just excused from doing it, it's something that I've really been working on.

So where I'm getting at is praise God in ALL circumstances, not just when everything is all good and happy in life. Even in the hardest times, praise God. And also call out to God when you are in fear, don't try to fix things yourself, trust me if you do it that way, it can only make it worse.

just rambleing.. (might be confusing)

Woah so much on the mind tonight.

Well I don't know one thing that I've just been thinking about tonight is people. And how important it is to surround yourself with people who build you up as a person and build your faith up and not tear that down. Your friends and the people you hang around effect you more than you know. Recently I had kind of a rude awakening, God kind of showed me I was hanging with the wrong group, and it was tough realizing that. I loved these people, I still do, SO much. But I realized I was just comfortable. I wasn't being encouraged or stretched as a person, or being built up in my faith.  I was just kind of blah.. blending in, and I don't want to blend in I want to be different.. Gosh I hope this is all making sense to you guys!

Also one thing that has really been on my mind is.. well I'm trying to narrow it down, but my top 5 people I look up to the most in life and I think I got it down. Do you guys want to know? Well I'm going to tell you any ways haha because well I think these people are some of the greatest people on the planet and everyone should know them. It's an honor. And well it's been "on my heart" to be a leader.. and I've been looking to these guys for help and they are the definition of a leader and just straight up solid human beings. I want to be like them. Okay I'll tell you.. Lexi, Spencer, Chase, Mikayla, and my dad/mom. These guys are world changers. Gosh I wish I could just tell you all the times they have touched my life and genuinely care about people. There hearts are the most beautiful things and gosh you guys, I'm tearing up. I hope sometime in your life you get the chance to talk to them. Okay enough about that.

Last thing. My heart is just kind of overflowing with happiness tonight. There are SO many beautiful reasons to be happy. But the biggest reason why I'm happy is just simply because I am alive. I don't know that always just gets me going. I really shouldn't be alive if you think about it. If you have no reason to be happy at all, just be grateful your alive. Simply for that reason.

Thanks for readin my thoughts, I'm kind of all over the place tonight!

We're "blessed"?

I here it all the time.. "I'm blessed", but what does that really mean? I've been studying Matthew chapter 5 lately and it amazes me so much!

 This chapter is exactly how the christian life is supposed to look like. For some of us being blessed is in what we have.. like how great our family is, or that we have a house to live in, or that we have great friends or we are happy with what we just got for a present. The list goes on and on, but what about when all that goes away or goes wrong? Are we still "blessed"? It may be hard to feel like we are, but  the answer is yes, we are. Then what about people who don't have any of that stuff period? Are they blessed? Yes. Let me just quote a few verses from chapter 5 it explains what being blessed actually is. (I know this is a lot, but I dare you to read it all, it changed the way I look at life):

“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
⁵ “You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

⁶ “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

⁸ “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

¹⁰ “You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

^11-12 “Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

So guys, we are blessed. No matter what you do or do not have. Being blessed can mean more than what you posses as material things, because they will go away. Remember that, it can really be hard sometimes. This week was really hard for me to feel blessed or thankful, everything went wrong, it was one thing after another. But in the end I look at these verses and guess what? I'm still blessed.

http://grace-inherheart.tumblr.com/post/35623097978/for-all-the-weary-hearted

Read my sister's BEAUTIFUL heart. i think everyone needs to hear this, it hit home for me.

Yah know when I said I had this unshakable joy in my last post? I don't have it.. I feel like I lost my joy today. How can this happen? Going from that to feeling like this. I know my joy is still there it's just not unshakable. Keep me in your prayers.

I'm just thankful.

Wow, it's been a while. I have so many drafts that I have saved but never had the guts to publish them. There has been so much on my mind lately! Ah recently I have just been pumped about what God is doing in my life.. like always. I'm just excited for my life! It's like God has given me this joy that no one can destroy! I have been praying a lot for a hunger for God, I ask God for a desire to want to know Him more. Because I think that we all get to that place where everything is great in life, and when that happens we tend to forget about God. We only ask God for help when we need Him or when we are hurting and alone. But what about when everything is good? I think that is when we need God the most actually. God has blessed me with these 4 incredible friends and 4 amazing family members. Madeline, Monica, Jp, Mikayla, Lexi, Sidney, Mom, and Dad. And I don't know lately I have just been thinking about how far I have come and I don't think I would have made it without all of them and I know God sent them to me. They make me happy to be alive. It's not very many people, but I'm glad. I've been noticing the little things in life too like my really comfy bed and all the clothes that I have and that I have access to food whenever I want and the fact that I can see perfectly with my two eyes and I can hear with my ears and that I can speak and sing to God with my voice. That I don't have cancer or I have organs that work like God made them too. Or that I have a car that I can drive. Like all the little things mean the most to me. You can have the big things, they don't really mean as much. My gratitude for everything God has blessed me with is overflowing everyday. And I hope you know that I don't take them for granted. So thanks God.. for everything.

To My Future Husband

I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I wonder what you're doing right now, I'm so excited to meet you one day! I bet you're really cute and longboard.. well I hope you do. (; I bet you're that super smokin' hot hipster style that I like haha, super funny, and a strong man of God. You better be, it makes me excited and I get butterflies when I think about you, even though I haven't even seen you or met you.. or maybe I have. I pray for you ever night. It makes all these silly little crushes in high school seem dumb, but I know I'm just searching until I find you. Oh and I pray for our kids too. Even though it's killing me that I don't know who you are now, I know God will blow my socks off when I meet you, that'll probably be the best day of my life! Just know that I think about you all the time and I'm excited for our life together. I have this big dream of serving God in a cool way with my husband for a living. I don't know what that will look like, but whatever it is I hope it's what God wants! Just so you know you better ask me to marry me in the most ridiculous way.. hah cause that's like my huge dream in life. And know that i'm a sucker for flowers.. like that would make my life (: Oh and we're going to have little dance parties in our family room like every night, okay? We're going to have a good life, and I'll never have to feel alone when I have you! Haha this is super dumb, but I've been watching this show one tree hill haha oh my and i hope we have a relationship like Peyton and Lucas. Hahah ahh i can't believe I just said that ahhh! But anyways, I love you very much and I'll see you later.

-Paige