God's Masterpiece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhfUzodLRvk

You are God's masterpiece. No one's perfect. We all have flaws. The first time i saw this video was back in Grade 10 and i thought it meant nothing. Just another YouTube video being shown at fellowship. The second time hit me hard. It was during retreat and we were talking about how our lives is like a renovation.

It's all bad and unwanted at the beginning but when during the process it gets ugly, destroyed, and it's messy, very messy. Once all the stuff is destroyed and rebuilt in the end it's all pretty and perfect.

Similar to our walk with God. He made us his masterpiece and he shapes and molds us to be like him. During our walk with God it will definitely get ugly. With temptations, struggles, and challenges.

Accept the fact that God made you for a reason, a purpose, and you're perfect. Every time we confess our sins he uses that hammer to chisel away our sins to make us beautiful.

Let It Shine.

Have you ever went to a mountain and looked around or sat in the middle of the field at night?

It's all pitch dark.

The earth below looks like a glowing map. Street lamps mark out tiny dots and lines of light, with our car headlights zooming up and down. As you enter a city (on a plane) you can see all the streetlights, building lights, and bill boards all lit up. There are thousands and thousands of lights. Both bright and dim, blinking and steady.

In Matthew 5:14-16 it says:

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

You are that city on a hill. that landmark in the darkness that no one can miss. You are the glow on the horizon. We should always be shining God's marvelous light to others. Old or young, male or female, Christian or non-Christian. It doesn't matter who. As long as the light is kept constant. It's something that no one can miss. We may stumble across some struggles or challenges but nothing is impossible through God. He's our strength. He's the one that keeps us going. Since he does all this why not share it to the world?

Temptation.

We all get tempted by Satan. It's the test of faith, whether or not we fall into it or resist it.
There are multiple ways of temptations. It may be from peers, family, teachers, it comes from just about anyone.

God gives us the many temptations to face so that he can test how strong our faith with him is. Trust is such an important role in this relationship that you have with Christ. Without it, there will be no right relationship. We need to give our full trust in God and believe that his plans for you are perfect.

Through many challenges and struggles, you may think that God isn't there for you when actually, he's standing right beside you. He never leaves your side. Through and temptations that you fall into God's there beside you, just reach up and grab his hand.

Failure.

There has got to be one point in your life where you felt you just failed someone or something. That happen to me today. I didn't know what was wrong. I did everything perfectly and it just hit me. Failure.

What was God trying to tell me? I have no clue. It always happens to me. Maybe it's just a sign? I was talking to my friend and he told me that it's something i can learn from and not keep myself down on the ground. It's just another obstacle that God placed in front of me and i have to tackle it. Who knows when i'll succeed but if i try my best then i'm sure it'll be fine.

It was just a slap in the face. Basically felt like someone ripped my heart out and stomped on it then attempting to put it back as if nothing happen. Yeah, failure hurts but we need to know that it's another thing that God puts in our path. In Him, anything is possible.

Tears might be shed. Hearts may be broken but it's just a challenge for a mighty warrior.

It's Perfect.

God has a plan for you. A plan beyond your wildest dreams. Did you know that the desires deep within you, the passions that move you deeply, the stuff you care about the most, the things in the world you most want to see changed, the stuff that can most quickly bring a tear to your eye or a smile, what most deeply satisfies you are all things that can lead you to God's purpose for you and your life.

We may not think that something bad that happens is part of God's plan but, it actually is. He planned it so perfectly that you need to take the fact that it is. We may struggle with many different things but everyone struggles. We all have these highs and lows in our lives. We may not like it but, it's a plan that was made perfectly and just for you.

I've struggled with many things last year. From dislocating my knee to a fire before show time. It was a really hard year and i didn't understand why God did that to me but now, i realize that he did it for a purpose. He planned it so that i can conquer each of these challenges and it'll lead to making my faith stronger.

Pebble.

I'm pretty sure you've seen a rock or pebble before. It's impossible to find 2 of the same one. They're all unique. There are always dents on the rock and the dents are made by other rocks rubbing onto each other.

Imagine yourself holding the pebble in your hand. God holds you in the warmth of his hand, turning you gently, searching your surface for flaws and rough places. We have our struggles that block us from continuing our path with God. Talking to God is the best way to get rid of those struggles and challenges. He's always there for us.

Still ponds don't make pebbles. It takes moving water, like a river or the sea. The water takes the rock on a journey and wears it smooth by rubbing it against other rocks.

How far have you traveled in the water of the Spirit?

Sometimes we fear that God will make us all into the same shape. No two are the same.

Its Valentine's Day!

¹³ Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

john 15:13

Im not a big valentine's day guy, the whole lovey dovey thing, there were so many things going on at school today, maybe it be the candy grams, the roses, or the sing o grams, love was in the air. Seeing couples everywhere, just enjoying each other's company and presence. But things popped into my head today.

Valentine's day is clearly known as a day of love, and i feel like its a day where EXTRA love is shown. We should be showing as much love as we can, on every single day! Not just on the 14th of the second month. I challenge you to continue to love others, those you know, those you dont know, those you love, and those you hate. Love them. Give them a hug, give them a high five, you dont need to buy them a rose and have a candle light dinner, but just show love by simply helping them, caring for them, and being a friend.

Being single on valentine's day. People are all saying HAPPY SINGLE AWARENESS DAY, blah blah. I guess today i guess since its "the day of love", use the day to reflect on GOD's love for you. His never ending, never failing, everlasting love for you. Its deeper than the sea, and he sent his one and only son to die for you.

I think i've realized that love is truly shown through sacrifice. If you're willing to sacrifice something thats yours for someone else, thats love. It doesnt have to be something huge like a laptop or something, but something small. Time. Thought. Effort. These little things seem like they have no impact, but together can easily show your love for someone.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Strength.

1 Peter 5: 6-7

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

I often find myself trying to carry my own burdens. This past year i realized that i couldn't. I needed God to help me. There were so many challenges that I've faced and this year i want to lift it all to God. He's our strength and He can do anything. Without him we would be nothing.

God wants us to give him the weight. Let the Lord Lift. Let him carry. He loves you. His finger can move mountains. His arm can hold up the universe. His eyes can see right into the deepest places of your heart. He sees what you are carrying alone. Let him carry it.

Maps.

A map. What do you use it for? To lead you to a certain direction. Sometimes we take detours or there are stop signs, road blocks, sometimes road kills, or parked cars.

Think about how this relates to our walk with God.
This map, it's like our path that God has set for us. We'll have many obstacles and detours. Our walks with God aren't always perfect. We have our uphills and downhills.
God planned everything for us. We have our choices that we have to make.

We can either park ourselves, like the parked cars on the side of the road, symbolizing the downfalls that we have with Christ, we can stop at the stop sign.

What do you do when you stop at a stop sign? You stop, look around all ways, then go. When we stop at a stop sign we stop, and take a step back and look around us. What's going on with our friends, family, relatives, etc., when is the right time to make the decisions.

Sometimes we may feel that we are very far away from God. But God is alwasy near. Where is your spiritual home? Imagine God saying, "Welcome home!" Say to yourself, "I am home with God."

You're Unique.

We all have our own struggles and challenges which make up our own story.

We are all unique. None of us are the same.

We are all different. We may think that there's nothing special about me.

I have had those thoughts before. I didn't know what to do i had no friends that were there to support me or encourage me. I realized that we all have our own things we need to overcome. I realized that we all have our own ways to overcome things. An example is, releasing stress. For me, i do it by working out or playing sports. Others may do it by journal-ing or talking a walk. You're special in God's eyes. We may sometimes let others get in the way of our relationship with God and they make us feel like we're worthless but we aren't.

God made us different. There is no one on this earth that is the same as you. Be yourself all day, ever day (:

Don't ever change because people like you come once in a lifetime.

Walk In It.

Isaiah 31: 20b - 21 says: "he will be with you to teach you. You will see your teacher with your own eyes. Your own ears will hear him. Right behind you a voice will say, "This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left."

We may sometimes doubt God. I, personally, have done that. I didn't believe that I was walking in the right path. There were so many temptations that i just gave up on God. I didn't know where to walk.

After reading these verses, i realized that no matter how many challenges we face it's all made for a reason. He's planned everything out for us.

He's got his plan and we follow it. He's there no matter what. He's the one that leads us.

Procrastinating.

We all procrastinate. From school work to doing chores.
But with God... Does he really want us to procrastinate on HIS works? NO! He gives us time to think about certain things but if we don't act upon them then, we won't be able to accept the challenges that He has given to us.

It may take a while to get things done but, in the end, it will be done. It takes time. We have to know our limitations and work with them. If we just sit back and relax things won't get done. For example, if your parents tell you to wash the dishes or clean your room and you sit sleep or watch TV. Will anything be get done? NOPE! NOT AT ALL.

We need to work to achieve the goals that we have received. We CAN'T procrastinate on the tasks that God has given us. Being a servant of God we need to be sacrificial, obedient, patient, and everything in the Fruit of the Spirit (and many more characteristics).

God wants us to do that, too. He gave us what we have for a reason: to make a difference for him in the world. To do that most effectively, we have to be wise.

-Rick Warren.

Why?

We always wonder why God picks US to do certain challenges.
Rick Warren says, "With God’s Spirit working in us and through us, we can get through what we’re going through."

I think this is something that stood out to me the most. Going through all these challenges in 2011 till now. math. Who knows what I'm going to end up with but through God, anything is possible.
He puts us through these challenges for us to rejoice and learn from the experiences. He'll NEVER give us a challenge that we can't conquer. It may take minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, maybe even years.

I have a friend that I've knows since JK. We even played soccer together every single recess in grade 1-2. He was like my brother. I waited for 11 years for him to open up to me. It took a while but it happen. I wanted to just give up during the process but there was something blocking me. Something that pushed me further to make him open up. It was God. He gave me the wisdom and strength to pull through. To keep him accountable, check up on him every now and then.

And now, we talk almost everyday he shares his most deepest and darkest secrets. I'm truly thankful for God. Although i really wanted to give up, He's the one that kept me going.

Getting through what you’re going through requires a shift. Instead of asking, “Why me?” ask, “What do I do with this, God?”

-Rick Warren.

Challenger.

One attribute of God.

ONE? that's too hard. But it's possible. For TC training we had to think of ONE attribute of God and write a reflection on it.
God's amazing, caring, loving, and just indescribable.

I picked challenger as the ONE attribute. why? The past year was a MISSION! He put me through so much. dislocating my knee 2 times, getting asthma, and a fire alarm before show time (SNA).
What more is there to say. I've never experienced this many challenges in less than 9 months. It was A LOT. I realized that he gave me these challenges because he's amazing. He knows that we can do it. Although we may not think that but in HIS PLAN we can.

We need to have patience and be obedient to Him. He guides us and strengthens us.

He's Always There.

Sometimes we think that God's not there for us. But in reality, HE IS!

He never leaves our side. He's almighty and all-knowing. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

I realized that HE IS there for us. Through all our struggles, HE is the first one to come to us. The first one to ask us if we're okay. It may sometimes feel like He's not there or He's not listening but, He is.

God never leaves our side. When we are struggling with something, we should never give up. God gave us the challenge to face. He knows our every move.

"Remind yourself what you know to be eternally true about God: He is good, he loves you, he is with you, he knows what you’re going through, he cares, and he has a good plan for your life."

-Rick Warren

So complex.

Last night as i studied for a bio quest i realized how complex we are.

The test was on the digestive system and respiratory system.
This made me realize how much God loves us. He spent HIS time to create each and every one of us. He made our insides and out. From taking a simple breath to swallowing food. He created a system for our body to follow. He focused on each and every one of us. He made us all special. We are all unique and there is only ONE of YOU in this UNIVERSE!

He created us with many different systems. We may feel like everyone is the same but in God's eyes, we are all different. We are made in a complex way. He keeps us all on track physically and spiritually. We all have our different ways in taking on a challenge but without God nothing can be done. We have to set aside time to thank Him for everything that He has done for us. From sacrificing HIS one and only son, Jesus Christ, to creating you!

We have our own complex brains and systems but without God, we wouldn't be here.

I Got This. Trust.

Don’t See How? God Will Make a Way.

Rick Warren

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)

You may be facing a dead end right now — financial, emotional, or relational — but if you will trust God and keep on moving in faith, even when you don’t see a way, he will make a way.

It will become more understandable as you head down the path he sets before you, but understanding is not a requirement for you to start down the path. Proverbs 4:18 says, “The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day” (NIV). One day you will stand in the full light of eternity and view the big picture. You’ll see God’s purpose behind the path he specifically chose for you.

In the meantime, do what Proverbs 3 says: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Be patient. God knows what he’s doing. God knows what is best for you. He can see the end result. You can’t. All those problems, heartaches, difficulties and delays — all the things that make you ask “why” — will one day be clear in the light of God’s love.

But for now, we’re learning to trust God.

TRUST. It’s something that we all have. May be big or small but we call have it. There may be times where we don’t trust anyone or the opposite of that, we trust someone a lot.

It’s something that we all have to work upon and can’t just leave it as that. When we say trust in the LORD with all our heart do we really do that or just say it. I know for me, it’s a struggle. I’ve faced many challenges and it seems that sometimes I ask God “Why Me?” then it all goes downhill.

He purposely chose these struggles for each and every one of us because he knows that there’s a way to get you out of it. It takes time and patience to work with God. Obedience is key in this relationship. If He tells us to go somewhere (for example a mission field) and we don’t want to we have to make a big decision.

We may not see the path that he has made for us right away but we need to stay focused and be mature about what he has set for us.

I hear you!

God Designed You to Hear His Voice

Rick Warren

“God does speak—sometimes one way and sometimes another—
even though people may not understand it.”
(Job 33:14 NCV)

God designed you to hear his voice. In a sense, there is a “receiver” in you that allows you to get guidance from God.

What channels does God use? The primary way that God speaks is through the Bible. This is why we need to read the Bible every day. God’s will is found in God’s Word.

God also speaks through godly Bible teachers. Have you ever been in church or at a Bible study and you feel like the teacher is speaking directly to you? In that moment, God is speaking directly to you.

God also speaks through other Christians. He even speaks through you. If you’ll stay in tune to him and learn his Word, sometimes God will use you to say things to people that he wants to say to them. It’s not something special reserved only for pastors; God speaks through every believer at different times.

God also speaks through your circumstances and your pain. God is speaking all the time. But we must listen. Tune in to God and he will lead you on the right path.

Hearing God's voice is what many people find difficult. For me, it is a challenge. Sometimes i don't exactly know if it's God himself or someone else just messing with me. We always have to keep in mind that He never stops talking.

Through thick and thin, he's there for us. He's the one that keeps us accountable and he's the one that helps us while we are in pain. It may be hard to understand what he's saying but, using his Word, it helps us give us a better understanding of who he is and what he's done.

He may be hard to understand at first but we have to accept it. Keep in mind that without Him you wouldn't be here. He made us who we are and we need to keep our ears open because he made us so that we can listen to him and be obedient to him.

We all have our different struggles and obstacles that we've faced or we are facing now but just remember that God is there for you 24/7.

He never leaves you.

Is that really you?

We often struggle with making decisions. From eating the last cookie to taking that huge step in our faith and getting baptized. I, personally, have struggled with many decisions. We face challenges every single day of our life. We may not know it but it’s true.

It may be hard to believe but YOU ARE PERFECT. No matter what way, shape, or form, God made you perfect. I’ve struggled with accepting that. A few years back I was the kid that was shy and casted aside. I never felt the feeling of not being lonely. This was a very hard time in my spiritual walk with God. I often questioned Him to see if He would answer me or at least give me a sign. One day I was sitting in the school office (because I got hurt) and I read a poem called: “Footprints In The Sand”

It says:

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there was one only.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints, so I said to the Lord,

“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there has only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, have you not been there for me?”

The Lord replied, “The years when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you.”

I then thought that God never left me, He was always by my side. He didn’t want to see me sad, but I was. I soon realized that stepping out of my comfort zone was one of the hardest decisions that I’ve made at that time. I soon realized that taking chances and believing it or not, God wants to see you take that step. It was very hard to take at first but after a while I got the hang of it and I don’t regret a thing.

He leads us to many different places and gives us many challenges but there is always a reason for why He does them. You and I both have challenges in our lives and we have to accept that God gave it to us for a purpose. He’s almighty, all knowing, and our one true creator. He made you and I and he knew us before we were born.

We face many challenges but it’s up to you whether to follow them or not. Always remember that God is by your side no matter what. He never leaves you and He’s always there to talk.

That you God?

You always hear those intense stories where something tragic happen then someone came to Christ or heard his voice. Those happen to some people, not all. Personally, I’ve never been through any of those hardcore “I touched Christ” or “He was standing right in front of me” moments.

We’ve all been through challenges and through Christ we overcome them. From as simple as walking up those many stairs to struggling with a relationship. Believe it or not He’s by our side every single second of our lives. From when we were in our mother’s wombs till now. Young and old.

It may be hard to hear God’s still voice and we have to be careful with what we are listening to. Satan’s voice can be very similar to Christ’s but those tricks and obstacles that he makes us face involve him. Everyone has a purpose in their life, from striving to become your dream career to serving God in your own community. He speaks to everyone in a different and unique way, whether it be from an incident or through worship, He knows how to speak to you. We have to be patient and obedient with God.

Christ is accepting and He’s always happy to hear you confess your sins to Him. Overcoming an obstacle is very challenging and sometimes we may take the wrong path and regret it. Christ gave that reason for you to take that way, He’s willing to forgive your every move but only if you are willing to confess and come up front to Him about it. Be honest to Him and don’t lie.

Fully rely on Him because he creates your every move.