God's Blessings in Everyday Living

God is good. All the time God is good. Oh how much God has blessed me!!! I could never thank Him enough for all that He has provided for me....The best family ever! Awesome friends! The list goes on....I don't deserve any of the things God has blessed me with, but yet He chooses to bless me because He loves His children.

God has really revealed to me how much that I should see Him through my everyday life. In mundane tasks, I can see God. When I work at my part-time job, I can work my hardest for the Lord. I can be cheerful to customers because Christ gave me joy. I can have a strong work ethic because I am working for the Lord and not for men.

Oftentimes I always complain about homework. I love college, just not the homework part. Why am I not always thankful that I have the opportunity to go to college? That I have the capacity to learn and hunger for knowledge. Why do I not remember when I am studying long hours for a test that I am not alone? I don't have to drown in self-pity because I have a long paper to write. I can use my writing to glorify Him. Every detail of my life reveals God working in me. Yet, I am often too busy to even notice.

Why is it that I don't see God in every single detail of my life? I tend to think He only cares about the "big" stuff. NO! God is showing me that He cares about every tiny detail of my life! He orchestrates everything....so why do we think He doesn't care about every single detail of our lives?

Today, I had to give a 5-7 min speech in my Communications class. I was really rather nervous at first. I am not a huge talker in front of people I don't know. For those of you that do know me personally, that's probably a shock. Just kidding. ;) Anyways, I don't like speaking in front of people and when I do, I talk too fast and my hands shake. Well I decided to give my speech about Time Management. I included things about how God is my first priority so the biggest amount of my time should be spent on what is most important to me. I also included a Bible verse in my speech and talked about how that God has given us these days on earth to glorify Him. I want to use my days effectively and quit wasting time. God is continuing to show me alot about not wasting my life.

When three o'clock came and Communications started, I was really rather nervous. I prayed that God would help me and a peace washed over me. I was no longer nervous at all. A few people gave their speeches and then a Baptist preacher got up and gave a speech about the Bible! He explained how the Bible is a road map for life and how it will never let you down. He shared Scriptures and invited people to read the Bible everyday. How awesome is that at a secular college! What shocked me again was that right after him a youth minister got up and gave a speech about knowing the Lord. He shared Scriptures and encouraged people to get saved! Remember how I said these were 5-7 minute speeches...My lost friends in that class got to hear the gospel for 10-14 minutes. Some people I know in that class might not ever step foot in a church....yet here they were at class hearing about Christ. I couldn't stop praising God for how he works!!! It is just incredible!! I got up and gave my speech next and I felt an overwhelming peace. I wasn't nervous, and I easily talked 5-7 minutes. It just showed me once again that I should God is in control and He is absolutely amazing.

God really is showing me that He is there with me at all times. When I experience joy, He is smiling. When I am suffering for Him, He wipes my tears away. Every single day, no matter what I am doing He is with me. For example, when I babysat tonight and played school with the five year old, I saw God's joy in him. His eyes gleamed with excitement over learning the numbers 11-40. If we were all that excited about learning and counted it a joy to learn! I smiled when I thought about how the baby I was watching had no worries. He would just mess my hair up and giggle. Then, he would go back to crawling and playing with his stuffed animal. If only life were so simplistic and we, as adults, didn't make things so complicated.... Children take pleasure in small things. Honestly, we shouldn't have worries either. Because we have a Savior that says, "Come here my child. Abide in me. Know me. Rest in me."

Yet, why do we struggle so hard to step back and just be still? Why is it so hard for us to trust God wholeheartedly? This abandonment for God is joy. It is experiencing the most amazing peace. It is an overwhelming sigh of relief that we don't have to have it all figured out.

"What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." -Romans 8:31-34

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." -Isaiah 40:31
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."- Romans 12:2

"And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."-Romans 8:38-39

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." -2 Corinthians 5:17

The God-breathed Book

The Bible is for certain inspired. It is literally the very breath of God transferred to man on paper. It is His love letter to us, His guide book for life, His plan of redemption laid out, the gospel foretold, and truths conveyed in each and every word. All of Scripture is inspired by God. When we move from this belief, it is like building our house on sinking sand. How can we follow a Savior whom we don't think His Word is entirely true and profitable? Believing the Bible is truly inspired by God is based on faith, but it also has proofs backing it up.

There are different ways that people reject the inspiration of God. Most of the people I know that don't believe that God inspired the Bible, believe "parts"of the Bible are true. They don't believe God inspired them and gave them the words to write. They just think the authors wrote the books like any other author. They think of it as just their account of what happened....This belief rejects that the entire Bible is true and can lead to belief that it is instead a mixture of truth, historical documents, mistakes, and allegories.

I think that they hold to these beliefs because they can accept what they want to from the Bible. If they don't like certain verses, they can claim they weren't true. If they are able to convince themselves and everyone else that only certain parts of the Bible are true, then they can pick and choose what they want to accept. If they don't like the fact that God created the world in 6 days, then they can say that that was just an allegory and there was no possible way that God could created the world like that. Or they can justify that God may have used evolution to create the world because they don't believe in the literal interpretation of "day" in Genesis.

Feeling they are not accountable to a Holy God is another reason for rejecting the true inspiration of God. This may not be the reason for all who choose to not believe in verbal inspiration. However, ultimately that is what one can draw from not trusting the inspiration of God. In denying that every single word of the Bible is truth, it provides an escape for following God with complete obedience to His Word. No matter how one reaches the conclusion that the Bible is not the inspired Word of God, then they feel they are ultimately not accountable to God. If they don't believe He even cared enough for them to write the Bible, then how can they trust the Bible? How can they find strength to obey God's commands in Scripture if they believe "parts" of the Bible are true? How can they trust God's promises? How can they share the gospel if they can't have the confidence to know that God wrote out His plan of salvation for us?

He is the Word. He is the life. Satan is out to attack Christians and make them believe that the Bible was not the inspired word of God. If Satan can make one believe that lie, then the gospel, the plan of redemption, Creation, and every promise in the Bible becomes in one's mind nothing more than a nice story. Believing the Bible is the inspired word of God is absolutely crucial in one's walk with Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16. "All Scripture is inspired by God...." The word "inspired" literally mans, God-breathed. How incredible is that!? I can trust what God tells me in His Word about the Bible being totally inspired because I can trust God. He will never fail me. His Word speaks to me and changes my life, and I know He is changing the lives of others through His Word.

Also, the fact that He used 40 people over the course of 1500 years to pen Scripture and nothing in Scripture ever contradicted each other is proof in itself that God breathed the words he wanted to be in the Bible.

“Of the many influences that have shaped the United States into a distinctive nation and people, none may be said to be more fundamental and enduring than the Bible.” -President Ronald Reagan
“We account the scriptures of God to be the most sublime philosophy. I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever.” -Isaac Newton
It's just absolutely crucial to our faith to know that Scripture is God-breathed. It is His love letter, His guide book for our lives, and every single word is truth. It is reliable, profitable, and is radically changing my life.

The American Drought

We're dry like the grass from the drought
Send Your rain
Don't withhold a drop
We are thirsty and broken
How we need to hear Your voice
We're thirsty for You God
Like a dying plant, we are slowing fading
The leaves are turning brown
Send Your rain, Father to drown us out
Let revival fall on this place
Lord Jesus, America is in a desperate awful drought
We fall on our face and cry out for revival
This nation needs You
We have turned our back from you
But oh how we must humble ourselves to You, to turn from our wicked ways
Turn America upside down for You
Revive us
Revolutionize our culture
Transform us to Your likeness
Like the leaves that turn brown we are fading
Oh Lord, stir our hearts and convict with Your Spirit
Send the rain
Jesus, please send revival upon us
We look up to You and pray

-Stacie (2008)

Nutrition with Martha Mahinsky

Haha Yet another hilarious Jostie flick

Sovereignty of God

God amazes me more everyday that I live upon this earth
I am so small and cannot understand His ways, yet His Sovereign will is perfect
Sometimes He gives and sometimes He takes away
He has absolute control over everything even though we can’t understand His ways
His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways
The God of the Universe challenges us with situations in our lives
It may involve suffering, but He knows what will make us stronger
Once a Child of God we can never be plucked out of His hand
He holds us in the palm of His hand and we are safe in Him
Although the world may be crashing around us, we have a refuge
His Sovereign Will is not always what we expected.
No, it’s more than we could have ever imagined
Every piece of our lives fit together to support God’s plan for our lives
It is as if our lives are an essay and the things that happen to us all support God’s thesis statement
The paragraphs flow perfectly together; each of them having their own purpose in the story
The climax of the story is that God has done a radical work in our lives
He sent His Son Jesus so that we would not have the deserved condemnation placed upon us
Instead He chose to give us life and the gift of salvation
This is the most amazing event that has ever happened in all of humanity
That Jesus Christ came to earth to shed His blood and die on a rugged cross
So that we would not have to be condemned
I cannot even begin to comprehend this kind of love
What kind of love takes the place of one who is supposed to pay for the punishment of sins?
What kind of unfailing love opens up His hand to take the nails?
It is only the grace and love of Jesus Christ that paid the price for our sins
We did nothing to deserve this overwhelming gift of grace and forgiveness
Yet God offers this gift of salvation to us for free because He loves us
His Sovereignty declared that we would need a Savior in order to have communion with God
So God gave us His only Son so that we could be able to have everlasting life
So that we would have fellowship with God and die to our old sin nature
This overwhelming grace and unfailing love only leads me to rely on my Savior
Why couldn’t I trust that a God who gave up His Son for me would have the best plans for me?
How can I not believe that everything in life happens for a reason regardless of whether we
understand it or not?
God’s sovereignty is the most beautiful demonstration of unfailing love
His grace is unsurpassable and His mercy is unfailing

-Stacie (2011)

Jostie Flicks - Cooking with Martha

Hahaha If you have always wanted to learn how to make a PB&J sandwich, then this video is for you. :P

Mr Bean - Asleep in Church

Bahahahaha Nothing this entertaining happens at my church....I'm assuming that's a good thing. ;)

Why I love Christmas....

I had an awesome Christmas and I hope everyone else did as well. I have really enjoyed having some time off school and getting to spend time with family and friends. My sister and I have really enjoyed being home together as we go to different colleges and don't see each as often when school is in session.

I loved making Christmas candy, watching Christmas movies, and exchanging gifts- all the things that we do to celebrate Christmas but most importantly knowing that I have a relationship with the Savior of the world. Christ came so that we could have life. He came knowing He would die on a cross and give His life for us. THAT is the reason we can enjoy life and celebrate Christmas. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year and may God abundantly bless you in 2011.

Ta Ta For Now

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON

Thankfulness

God has blessed me beyond measure!! He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us!! He woke me up from my dead and sinful nature, and saved me-making me alive in Him!!! I fall short everyday, but God's grace overwhelms me. His love encompasses me and has blessed me with an abundant life!!! Without Him, I would be nothing.
I'm also very thankful for my awesome family. For friends, for food, for our house, and the list goes on. I could never stop listing all the things God has blessed me with. It is to Him, I owe my thanks. This Thanksgiving was enjoyed with family, good food, and laughter. Everyday from now on, I want to live my life in thankfulness rather than taking things for granted. Thankfulness is not just thinking about things to be thankful for on Thanksgiving. Instead it is a lifestyle of knowing you have been amazingly blessed by a loving God. So often, I almost act as if I deserve these blessings. Rather, I am just a victim of grace.

What is Happiness?

Happiness is defined as: The state or quality of being happy. The definition of happy is having, showing, or marked by a feeling of joy or pleasure.

There are many unhappy people, yet fortunately, there is also a great percentage of happy people in the world. Happy people are marked by a smile. Often times when we see someone smile, there are genuinely happy. However, there can be someone living as an imposter that’s not truly happy trying to pretend they are a happy person. If we are around an individual long enough though, we will most likely be able to determine if they are happy or unhappy.

Happy people look at life positively and see the glass half full instead of half empty. They enjoy life and are happy with their circumstances. However, that’s where I tend to disagree with the definition of happy. Happiness is based on circumstances around you, whereas, joy is the overflowing peace inside your heart that causes you to be happy regardless of your circumstances. Happiness is
limited by effects of life. Rather joy is a gift of God that causes you to look on life with a peace in your heart although your world may be crashing around you.

Sadly, we live in a world where there are many unhappy people. The causes are greatly varied. Some people are unhappy because of the circumstances that they were brought up in. Maybe their dad was an alcoholic and never showed them the fatherly love that they needed. They go around with a wound in their heart that their father left them and never heal from the wound. The cause of others’unhappiness may be because they don’t like their job or can’t stand their boss. So, in turn they take it out on everyone else and determine to not be happy. Many are unhappy because they have lost someone dear to them through death, divorce, or a broken relationship.
Still others are unhappy because they have never learned to be happy with themselves. According to an online article, unhappy people are usually unhappy because they have not mastered the ability to be happy within themselves.

I am not implying that unhappy people can never become happy. Rather, an unhappy person can change the way he or she thinks and become a happy, positive person. They can also receive counseling to overcome their hurt. It may take a while to be move on from whatever has caused them to unhappy, but no one is unreachable.

Unhappy people can become joyous as well if they turn to the One who gave freedom to the oppressed. The world would be a different place if people were filled with a residing joy regardless of their circumstances. Yet sadly, the world is filled with many people seeking happiness and joy, yet many never find it. Instead they are distinguished by a miserable unhappy appearance or wear a mask and pretend that they are as happy as everyone else.

Being content with life is a way to gain happiness. David Steindl-Rast said, “Gratefulness is the key to a happy life that we hold in our hands, because if we are not grateful, then no matter how much we have we will not be happy because we will always want to have something else or something more.”

Happy people have a smile. Happiness drives people to focus on others rather than themselves. Happiness is a beautiful sunny day and running through the meadow. It is laughing with a friend. It is expectant of tomorrow. Happiness is a beautiful thing, and joy is even sweeter. I’m very grateful for the gift of both.