Happiness In Christ

God is an amazing God. He works in mysterious and hidden ways.

I've realized: just yesterday how much happier I am when I give something up to God. When I make it about Him to bring Him glory, I have a sense of peace and happiness that I knew was from Him.

I get joy in surrendering to Christ and doing His will. I love my God, my Creator. He is everything I need. He is my King. The things of this world do not please me. They may keep my entertained or happy for a time, but I do not belong here and I am happier when I am in Christ.

And sometimes when you are down the most and you have to rely on Him, you find new strength, hope and happiness that only Christ can give. It's in those dark and scary times that we find Joy, because we are forced to rely on our Creator and He gives us the hope, love and courage to carry on.
To God alone be the glory.

Be Open

Recently I have noticed that I enjoy people more when they are open. We all don't want to be open because we feel we are exposing ourselves too much. We don't want to be made fun of in that area because the pain would be greater.

But you benefit others more when you are open and honest about things. In everyday conversations. Whether it's admitting you don't know what something is or saying what you truly believe, even when everyone else thinks what you believe in is stupid. Because there might just be somebody in the crowd who needs to hear that.

We tend to put on masks a lot. Pretend we have everything together and life is going great. We don't like to admit that we are 'not as great' as others think we are. That we are human. That we make mistakes and have gone through what you are going through. When you be open and honest: real, people find you more relatable and you may encourage others who are going through what you are going through, by your positive and honest example.

My friends have taught me that and encouraged me by being honest and real about life. Thank you for your examples and friendships. And I encourage and challenge us all to be honest and real and to take off our masks of security.

To God alone be the glory.

Josh Wilson - I Refuse

He Has Risen!

HE HAS RISEN!!!!!

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!!!!!

1 Peter 1:3
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead...

Christ died for our sins, so we might live for Him. He paid the price- so we didn't have to. He loved us enough to die for us, though we are sinful and God HATES sin. He still died for us.

Philippians 2:8
And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Jesus could've easily avoided it. He was fully God and fully man. He had the authority and power to do whatever he wanted. God created us and we sinned, yet he still loves us and was willing to pay the price for us though we don't deserve it. He died for us disgusting, dirty, rotten sinners, so we could spend eternity with our pure, sinless, perfect God. Wow.

Matthew 26:53
Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

Praise be to Christ for his love and sacrifce for us. So we might live with Him. HE HAS RISEN!
To God alone be the glory!

Christ is Risen

God Is Good

God IS good. Even when we aren't. He is faithful, even when we are faithless. He is just even when we are unjust. He is pure and holy and we are corrupt and full of sin. He loves us, even when we don't love him.

God and his great love for us is amazing! It's out of this world! (literally)

I find strength in the fact that Christ came as a man. He lived through what we live through, the temptations, the unjustness and cruelty of this world: he is not foreign to it. He wants us to endure this life so that we might enjoy the marvels and glories of heaven and be with God. There is a light and the end of the tunnel.

So when life is rough, find hope and renewed strength in our Creator. God is good-- all the time.

To God alone be the glory.

I Am Second - Baron Batch