Lesson #4 The Future

"For I know the plans I have for you declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future" Jeremiah 29:11 "Do not worry about tomorrow for tomorrow for tomorrow has enough troubles of its own" Matthew 6:34
So, I don't know about you but I have a hard time not knowing whats next. Ive always been that way, when I was younger I couldn't pick up a book without skipping to the end to see what happened, but by doing this I ruined the book for myself. I wasn't motivated to finish reading it, I ruined the element of surprise and uncertainty that comes with reading. I just had to know that everything would be ok in the end.  Often times in life I am this way as well, if I can't see where God is taking me in this season of life I don't want to go there. Some of that is a trust issue as well.  I also like most people want to plan my future for myself. If it were up to me I'd go to Liberty University on a soccer scholarship, play through college, play in the NWSL and eventually work my way up to the USWNT and the Olympics, and after all that eventually settle down and have a family. Its not up to me though. I don't know where God is going to lead me in my life but I have to trust that its for my best and its going to be honoring to Him. I just have to submit. I've recently learned a very valuable lesson in regards to the future and trusting God. There is no point in planning or worrying about the future, God has it all in control and its all going to be ok eventually. Not too long ago, my life took a turn I never could have seen coming. I had to totally rely on God to get me through it. My security was ripped away from me and the only thing I had was my trust in God and the faith that He would never leave me. Letting go of my problems and circumstances was very difficult as I wanted to be in control of it and make it all ok, but I couldn't. Only God could do that. God knows whats best for us and what needs to happen in our lives which is why HE is in control. He sees the big picture when we don't, He planned it for goodness sakes. Sometimes when we feel like nothing will ever be ok again we just have to trust what we know to be true about God. He is the standard of good, He is always faithful, He is unconditionally loving, He wants what is best for our lives, He wants to grow us to be like in him, and sometimes that means breaking us. God will bless a submissive heart in the dark times when you can't see the end.  He has blessed me beyond belief with the life I have. He knew what I would need in the years to come and has provided that for me, while it took a lot of hurt to get me here. I can say it was worth the hurt to be in this place of total reliance on God, and to be have faith that He is in control. So just trust that God loves you and wants whats best for you and that beauty will rise from the pain. You just have to learn to stand in the promises of God.

Galatians 6:9-10

Since I really had a hard time coming up with something to write about for today's post I decided to try something semi-new. I'm just gonna tell you a story of how Gods used people to encourage me at just the right time recently. So yesterday my soccer team had a really big game. We were playing a really good team that we have not beaten yet but have come very close to beating them. We were winning 2-0 going into the second half. Needless to say we lost 3-2 in over time and walked off the field in tears. Many of the girls were feeling hurt and not just physically but mentally. We gave everything we had and remained positive and encouraging throughout the entire game. I personally could not understand why God wouldn't honor our efforts and give us that win we so desperately wanted. I came home from the game feeling very proud of how we played but discouraged about the situation. I felt like our efforts were for nothing. My dad got a text from one of our assistant coaches' wife. She shared a verse with my dad that she shared with her daughter who was also feeling discouraged. "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."(Galatians 6:9-10) This verse reminded me that as long as we keep up our attitude and purpose of glorifying God in our actions we will see benefit. It may not be earthly benefit or even benefit us at all. God could use our actions to point an unsaved player, coach, or spectator to Him. Before every game we say our only purpose is to bring God glory and as long as we do that we have nothing to be ashamed of. We gave our everything, we had good attitudes, and we honored God. That's all that matters. This can be applied to any area of your life school, work, sports, music. Glorify God in it all and it counts, no matter what the score board says. You can't go wrong. 

Lesson #3: Living Life to the fullest

Now, I know this is easier said than done but I think once we grasp a concept like this it will drastically change how we treat others and live our lives. The concept is to just live like there's no tomorrow. I'm not going all "YOLO" on you here but I will say you can easily turn that "excuse to party and waste your life away" phrase into a phrase with true meaning. You only live once, so make your life count. For Jesus.  If you live your life sold-out for Jesus every day, you will look back on your life with no regrets. But as human, that's impossible as we are imperfect beings with a sinful nature. We will mess up but if you learn from those mistakes you can change the way you live your life. Just rely on Gods mercies and grace to help you get back up and try again. Be a light to this dark world. There is so much sin and darkness and sorrow in this world, while it is the world we live in because of the fall of Adam and Eve you can make this world a little brighter. Live as Jesus would have, tell others of His saving grace and sacrificial, sin atoning death.  You only live once, so keep peace in your relationships. If someone you know and love were to leave this earth today is there something you wish you would have said? Would you have offered forgiveness or an apology? I know it's not easy to humble yourself and admit you're wrong, but that's what's necessary of you to make peace. Jesus forgave you of your sin and saved you from a place a eternal punishment; don't you think you can forgive that person who hurt you, or stole from you, or maybe even took someone from your life?  Live your life so that when you get to heaven you can hear the words "Well done my good and faithful servant" I don't know about you, but that's something I can not wait to hear the God of heaven and earth say to me, a wretched sinner. Live so that you don't have to say "I wish I would have done this differently". No regrets. Give your everything for Jesus name and you can't go wrong. We we're put on this earth by God to bring glory to His name. I think we forget that purpose sometimes. Don't waste your life, yes you're gonna make mistakes but if you live your life for this purpose of drawing others to God, you're life will not be wasted

Lesson #2 :Happiness

James 1:2 "Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trials of various kinds, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." John 15:22 "So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and and no one will take your joy from you" True happiness can not be dependent on relationships or circumstances. If that's what your happiness is reliant upon you will never be truly happy. You may feel happy for a time, but it won't last. Now I don't mean to come across as a downer but this is something I'm not gonna put lightly. I have battled not letting my circumstances and situations define me. I was miserable, nothing pleased me. I'd go out with friends put on my "happy face" and come home and cry. I was looking at what I was missing, not what I have.  I wasn't happy until I realized my happiness is dependent on no one but myself. I needed to look for the good in situations, to see the positive amongst the negative, to be thankful for another day to live and breathe, to count it a privilege to serve my Savior every day.  This didn't click for me until talking to a friend a couple weeks ago. He reminded me of the fact that despite the fact I've lost a lot of people in my life, I still have friends who love me for me. Gods still God and He has me where I am for a reason. So, I challenge you what's the cause of your happiness? Is it your friends? Your family? A sport? A hobby? It's not wrong for these things in life to make you happy, but they can quickly become the source of your happiness and even become an idol. It can be gone in a instant, your friendships can fall apart, your family can become divided, you can become unable to participate in those activities you love. When trials come you can look for the good that come from the situation as "all things work together for the good of those who love and serve The Lord" (Romans 8:28)  Build your happiness on something that lasts, the hope that one day all things will be made new, the unconditional love of Jesus, and the faithfulness of our God. This can change your life. When you find true happiness through knowing Jesus and giving everything for Him your life will never be the same.

Lesson #1: Acceptance

1 John 4:7 " Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God." 

Romans 15:7 "Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."
I was once asked the questions "Do you feel loved? Do you feel secure? Do you feel significant? Do you feel accepted?", my answer "Well, of course I do". Until August of 2012 I never really thought about what those questions meant. Last August I moved up from recreational soccer to high school soccer. I knew no one on the team, I had never been in a situation where I didn't know anyone and needed to be friends with these people. The soccer season started during a very difficult time in my life where I had been broken and I was in a time of transition. I felt very alone and vulnerable and hurt. None of the girls on my team knew what I was dealing with. I had never felt so loved, secure, or accepted until I met these girls. They immediately accepted me as one of them, I never had to prove myself or really go out of my way to talk to them. They went out of there way to talk to me, love me, and make me feel important. These girls are now my best friends. I didn't know it was possible to feel so loved by people I didn't know. These girls (some unknowingly) helped me through the darkest time of my life. I truly felt loved, secure, significant, and accepted. Now, don't get me wrong, I have a family ,friends, and church who love me, but until that point I had never felt alone and those girls acceptance of me was at a point in my life where I could have walked away from God. I believe that had I not met those girls or had they treated me differently I would be in a very different place in my life. They truly showed me what it means to love others. They treated me as I believe Jesus would have. I have learned so much from their example of reaching out to the "new kid". So today, this week, this school year, reach out to someone. Make them feel like they matter, show them you love them just as they are. Be Jesus to them. You just might be a friend to the friendless. You never know what is going on in someones life, sometimes just being a friend can save a life.