The Iron.

Ironing calls for a delicate balance. You use heat and pressure to shape your clothing, to smooth imperfections, to get your shirt or slacks crisp and looking their best. In a way, heat and pressure combine to mold and shape you. To prompt you to deliver your best and become your best. To do what you thought was beyond you.


It's a delicate process, and you probably resent every minute of it. We don't enjoy being molded. We'd rather avoid pain. And it may feel unfair that God uses pressure and heat to call us closer to him. The pressures of a world in need to prompt our response, the heat of our passions to ignite a love for him and his purpose. 




1 Corinthians 10:12-13 

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Pressure and heat aren't your enemies. You needn't fear them. The pressure will never be too great, the heat never overwhelming. 
Because you're not along in the pressure cooker. The Holy Spirit walks with you. 

tears.

We all have those days where we're sad, we're disappointed, its an off day, something has happened, and tears may fall. I feel like i've been on this crazy rollarcoaster recently, filled with times of over thinking and worrying, steep climbs that sometimes lead to nothing, and fearing the truth.

I've thought about it lately, and it just feels like i don't have that sense of belonging yet. I feel like an alien sometimes, as if I'm from another planet or something. Something doesn't feel right. It might be my fault for not having a close core group of friends, or maybe its just that no one finds interest in me? I've talked to others about it, and they've all said to be myself and to have a bit more confidence in myself. And I'm trying so hard. Be myself. If you like it, cool, if you don't, then thats cool too.

I just don't know how to handle it. Maybe I'm just expecting too much? I honestly don't know what the problem is.

Tears. Okay, im not crying, but i know that we're all going through something, whether it be the stress from school and university, or problems with parents, no one is living the perfect life.

God sees these tears. Whether they may be the ones falling down your cheek, or the ones from the heart. He has gone through all this, and he knows exactly how it feels.

Yes, maybe i don't feel like i fit, maybe I'm just the odd piece in the puzzle, and maybe this isn't where I'm supposed to be. But I honestly love those around me. They are great people to be around, and i love their company. Can they say the same? That i'll never know. I said that I'm scared of knowing the truth. What people truly think about me. I try to think of others instead of myself, if they don't like me, theres not need to hide it, just say it. But i don't know.

Is it just me? I don't know. But what i've learnt this weekend is what's pushing me through. Knowing that God understands, he knows, and he cares should be and is enough for me. Life is worth the living just because He lives. JUST BECAUSE.

This stuff is always crossing my mind. I just had to get it out.

Verse of the day says the rejoice always. Good reminder in this time. I'll keep trying. I don't know what God is trying to teach me here, but I'm willing to listen and learn. Praying he'll speak to me.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

God Cares.

Luke 12:6-7

⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

You are worth something. Jesus knows the number of hairs on your very head. He uses hair to communicate his great love for you and his care for you. The Creator who cares about the life and events of the lowly sparrow cares much more about you! Every detail of your life is important. Every circumstance. Every fear. Every worry. God cares.

Don't ever think that you aren't good enough. I had a phase where i didn't know what to do. The thought kept going through my head, "I'm just not good enough." I realized that I don't need to be perfect to have a relationship with God. He cares for us and he's always there for us. He loves the sinners of the world no matter how much they've been through. All that junk that we've been though, he understands it all. He looks at you as his art. You're perfect and beautiful. You're amazing.

Fears.

You got your fears I got mine. It may be from spiders to failing out of school.

For me, it’s not getting into university. I know why am I thinking about this already? I’m only in grade 11. Yeah yeah I’ve heard all that. But honestly, I don’t know what courses that I’m going to take next year. I don’t have many pre-reqs and it’s just a constant struggle that I’ve been facing. Semester 1 almost at an end. It’s the final push to get all our marks up before exams come.

Math. Who knows what I’m getting now but I know it’s not something that I want. I’ve been trying so hard and every test. Fail. Fail. Fail. Who knows what I’ll get. Possibly a passing grade. Well that’s what I’m hoping for. I don’t know what to say to God except why. WHY ME? My siblings all got 90s in math and then there’s me.

In today’s devos, Rick Warren says: “Your fears reveal where you do not trust God. Today, make a list of your fears, and ask God to help you identify why you have fear in those areas. Then, ask him to help you replace your fears with trust.”

This line hit me hard. I realized that I put my fears in front of God. I didn’t think about how this challenge will benefit me in the future. Trust is a big word. It takes time and accountability to achieve it.

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.

#Believe

Do you believe?

Today in service, something hit me. hard. Pastor Irene, one of our youth pastors constantly kept referring to the songs we sang for worship. And this one thing she said really hit me. We sang Mighty To Save and the line was,

"Savior He can move the mountains"

Faith was a overarching theme throughout the service, and i reflected and realized that... i dont really have much faith in my God. We sing these words, but i realized, how much do i ACTUALLY believe these words that im singing out of my mouth, leading the congregation? :S not much.

I think this is a big downfall to my faith, because i clearly, dont have much faith so its harder to face struggles if i dont allow myself to give up my life and trust God completely. We have to learn to have faith in our God. Push it further, push it more, just imagine the copious amounts of blessings he will give you if you just had more faith in Him with his plan for you and his love.

Our God is great. He CAN move mountains. Fear Him, and have faith in Him that he'll pull you through whatever you're struggling with.