What is Love?

We all want to be loved and we all have different ways of showing love and different ways of trying to get love.

One of my favorite words is 'Agape'. Agape is the highest form of love there is, it's the kind of Love Jesus has for his Father and for us. Agape is sacrificial, selfless, and unconditional and Jesus was a perfect example of this when he died for our sins on the cross. He sacrificed his perfect, heavenly home with his father and became sin for us. He became the one thing that he despised the most so that we could live in heaven with him. That's Agape love.

John 15:12-13 reads "My command is this: Love each other as I have Loved you. Greater Love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." We don't often use the words 'Love' and 'death' in the same sentence but throughout the bible we see God putting those together quite often, so maybe he's trying to tell us something? If we are willing to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters in Christ, that would mean that we would think of them as better than ourselves. We would have to value their needs/wants more than our own and want what is best for them without giving ourselves a second thought. That is the definition of selfless, and selfless is used to define Agape.  

John 13:35 says 'By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you LOVE ONE ANOTHER.'  As we can see it is extremely important to God for us to love each other. When asked what the greatest commandment of the 10 were, Jesus replied, 'Love the lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.' Mark 12:30-31. So I would say that if Jesus picked that one commandment out of all 10, shouldn't that give us some idea as to the importance of loving people?


It's really not easy to put others before yourself and in all honesty it really doesn't come naturally to anyone. It's something we have to put a lot of prayer, time and intentionality into. Prayer because we could never do it without God's help. Time because Loving others takes extra time and energy. Intentionality because it's something that we have to conscientiously think about and follow through with.

So here's my challenge to you and myself. Every morning when you wake up pray and ask God to help you love the people he put in your life and also the strangers you see at the mall or the grocery store or on the road. I can pretty much guarantee that by doing this your day will get a little bit better too!!

I hope y'all have an AMAZING day! God bless!!

Katelyn

For the ones who "Have it all Together"

We've all had those days where it's bad from the beginning and it just gets worse from there. Or those weeks that turn into months where it just seems like an unending stream of disappointments. Or that one day you look forward to all year and you're disappointed every time because it never goes how you imagined. We've all been heartbroken, betrayed and almost alone.

Today was one of those days where I almost burst into tears a couple times and everything went wrong from the time I sat down at my desk till I walked through my front door. I was discouraged and disappointed and I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Satan took this opportunity to kick me while I was down, in a sense, and remind me of past hurts and rejections and whisper lies like, "No one really cares about you. Your job isn't important. You can't actually make any difference in this world. People just think you're stupid, and they're right..." These are lies that Satan was telling me all day and he was loving the fact that I was actually believing them. Let me tell you another lie that I'm sure he's whispered in your ear a couple times too, "Your problems don't matter, there are other people who have way bigger problems so don't even bother getting help with your's..." That is not true at all and let me tell you why.

God cares about your problems, God cares that you have a heavy heart or that you had a rough day at work of school. He knows and he cares. Let me tell y'all a little secret, sometimes the ones who seem to have it all together, the ones who are constantly reaching out to and encouraging other, are the ones who need the most encouragement. They're the ones who are trying to fight the internal battles of a broken heart or depression or anxiety or loneliness or discouragement alone. Sometimes the battles you can't see, or you don't know about, are the ones that do the most damage.

Look at your pastor or youth leader or mentor, who mentors them? Who pours love and truth into their lives? Has you ever thought that maybe your pastor might actually have their own hardships that they are facing almost alone because 'They are the ones who are supposed to have it all together'? I heard someone say once "They don't need a mentor because they have it all together, they already have a strong relationship with God. They don't need me." If you ever see those people who seem like they have it all together ask them to go to coffee with you, ask them how you can pray for them, if you show them you care soon you will see how broken they really are. Be prepared for them to break down in tears and be prepared to pour love and encouragement into their broken hearts that have been needing that for years. Take that girl or guy that always has a smile and sit them down and show them how much you care.

To the one who "has it all together", God's always there even when no one else is. He knows what you're going through and he cares. He wants to hear about it, ask him to send someone to encourage you. I know how hard it is when all you really want is for one person to show an interest in your life and it seems like no one does... Keep your head up, have faith, and don't stop praying. Someone will come and they will come when God knows that you need them the most.

I hope y'all know and understand how very much God loves you. I hope you realize what you're worth. You're worth dying for, each and every one of you. You're precious and you're a child of God.

I hope y'all have a great weekend!!

Katelyn

Power in Weakness

 My dad told me the other day that often your greatest strength is also your greatest weakness. I'd like to switch that around and say pretty much the same thing except back-words. Your greatest weakness can also be your greatest strength. I changed that because, if you are anything like me, it's easier for most of us to pick out our weaknesses before out strengths.

If you were to ask me what my greatest weakness was I would tell you it's my stubbornness/strong will. Anyone who knows me well probably knows that I'm a stubborn person at times and I have always considered that a bad trait to have, until just recently when I discovered how powerful my 'weakness' actually was when I used it the right way. I struggle sticking with things in life, I get all these "great ideas" and start a lot of things then halfway through that I start another "great idea" and drop the first one. That is something that a lot of people have started to notice happening in my life and I decided that I didn't want to be known as someone who doesn't finish what they start. And that's where my stubborn streak kicked in.

A couple days ago I was sitting at my desk at work and this thought suddenly hit me as I was considering quitting, and I said to myself, "I'm probably the most strong willed person I know and I have always thought of that as a bad thing, but who say's it can't be a good thing. God obviously made that as part of my personality for a reason, and there's a pretty good chance that it's so I learn to stick with what I believe in and not give up when things get hard. I need to stick with this job that God gave me and I need to give it my very best. No one is going to be able to call me a quitter!" So right then and there my whole attitude changed, just sitting at my desk. My greatest weakness, in my mind, had just become my greatest strength.

Now think of something you struggle with, maybe it's stubbornness like me or maybe it's something else. How can you flip that around and use it, with God's help, to change the world? How can you allow God to move in you to empower others to change the world?

Now let's talk about how it can work the other way around... How can your strength become your greatest weakness. I think we all know how stubbornness can be a weakness but what about other strengths? Maybe we get consumed with how awesome we think we are and lose sight of the one who actually got us to where are are now... God. Maybe you start to let the mindset of, 'I'm so much better than all these other people because God gave me this talent and look what they got stuck with.' Maybe we are focusing too much time in the area we strive in and we let the other people in our lives fall. Maybe we are really good at spreading the gospel and loving the strangers around us but at home and church we are letting our relationships fall apart. Maybe we are too focused out bringing new people into the church that we are forgetting to continue to love and care for the one's God already gave us. The list could go on and on and as I'm writing this I am seeing myself in a lot of these examples... The thing is, we all fail at some point and we have to realize that and look to God to help us stay strong. No one is perfect and sometimes our weakness is our strength and sometimes it's just a weakness. But, there is Grace and Forgiveness for when we do mess up and God is always going to be right there to help us back to our feet and keep going.

I hope y'all realize how much power you have to change the world for the better or for the worse, and I hope you choose to change it for the better! God bless you all and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week!

Katelyn

The Power to Build Up or Destroy

Words... They can save a life or they could end a life. They have the power to make someone's day or break someone's day. We can use them to lift someone up or tear someone down. Words are like a weapon, you must be extremely careful with them.

I've been reminded a couple times how much an unkind or harsh word can sting and it really does tend to ruin your day when someone says something unkind. I also know that on multiple occasions I have hurt someone else with my words in for me, sometimes unintentionally and, unfortunately, sometimes intentionally... I have a tendency to let myself speak when I'm angry and that's never turned out well for me. When I'm angry I say things that at the time I might think I mean but a couple hours later I very much regret what I said and end up having to go back and apologize to the person I hurt.

 Proverbs 15:1&2 'A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commands knowledge but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.' and Proverbs 11:9 'With his mouth the godless destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous escape.'  Those are three verses are good reminders for me. The two words that stood out to me when I read that are, fool and godless. Neither of those are qualities that I want God, or others, to associate with me. The godless destroys his neighbor... That's rough.

One thing that I have learned the hard way is that mean, unkind, hurtful words echo though your mind a lot longer that kind words do. People are more likely to remember that one time you hurt them over the couple times you complimented them. You can't take back words, you can apologize but you will never be able to take them back. Once they leave your tongue it's too late.

My challenge to myself, and you, is to think before you speak. Is what you're about to say True? Is it Kind? Is it Honorable? Would you say it if you could see God standing right there next to the person? Would you say it to their face, or just behind their back? Is it Loving? Think about it...

God bless y'all! I hope you have an amazing day/week!

Katelyn

In the Eye of the Storm

One of my least favorite things is driving when it's raining really hard and you can't really see where you're going but you have to keep going cause there are a lot of people around you going the same speed and not ready to stop for you and if you were to stop you might get rushed off the road from the torrential rain... It stresses me out very much and I can honestly say that any time I'm in that situation I'm begging God to keep me safe as I drive blindly down the road getting more and more stressed out, and he does. 

There's this song called 'Eye of the Storm' by Ryan Stevenson that I have had on repeat for the past few days because it's exactly what I need right now. Here's how the chorus goes (I strongly suggest you listen to the whole song sometime); 

In the eye of the storm, you remain in control.

In the middle of the war, you guard my soul.

You alone are the anchor, when my sails are torn.

Your Love surrounds me in the eye of the storm.

Every single one of us can listen to this and think of at least one moment in your life where you felt like you were in the eye of a storm and you needed an anchor. So where do you find your anchor? Is it in God? I've tried to make my anchor something besides God on multiple occasions and I can tell you that never worked out for me. I would learn on someone else, who also was going through a storm of their own, and expect them to be able to keep both of us above water. It wasn't fair to them and that made us both go under. Now don't get me wrong, I believe that God gave us each other to help us through those hard times and to encourage us and we should appreciate the people God puts in out lives, but they will never replace God, and we shouldn't try to make them replace God.

I'm reminded of the story in Matthew 8:23-27 when Jesus and his disciples when out in their boat and a furious storm came up. Jesus had fallen asleep in the boat and his disciples where really scared and woke Jesus and said, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" Then verse 26 says; 'He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and waves, and it was completely calm.' Can you imagine being there and watching that happen and how amazing that would be? Here's the thing, if Jesus has control over the wind and the water and can stop a storm with his words, why do I stress about my job or my family or friends? If I belong to God why do I fear anything at all? I feel like God has to say to me a lot, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" How do you reply to that... "Well God, to tell you the truth I don't trust that you have control over what happens to me"...? When I actually write that out y'all are probably thinking, "Katelyn, we would never say that to God! Of course we trust that he has control!" Actually though, that is what we are saying when we are worried or doubting God.

 This morning as I was leaving my house it was the most beautiful sight, and I thought to myself, "It's easy to remember that God is good on a morning like this. The truth is though, it's not always going to be peaceful and beautiful like that. Sometimes it might be hard to see God, but we just have to remember that even in the eye of the storm God is there and he's still got you in the palm of his hand.


So today, where ever you're at in your life don't forget how important and loved you really are. God bless you today and if you ever need someone to pray with you or for you I would love to do that! Here is a link to the song I was talking about, take a listen, you wont regret it! Eye of the Storm- Ryan Stevenson

Have a great day y'all!

Katelyn

Choosing a Line

This is written by one of my younger brothers, Brandon Short, and he did such a good job!

One of my favorite things to do early in the morning is go for a ride on the mountain bike trails located a few miles from my house. The trails are a thrilling combination of hilly and flat sections with a wide variety of logs, roots, rocks, sand and other obstacles to challenge the rider.

A mountain bike trail can be anywhere from six inches to six feet (or more) in width, but mountain bike tires are only a couple of inches wide. This leaves plenty of options for where to guide your wheels. A line is the exact path a bike’s wheels will take on a trail. The biker must make quick decisions as to where his or her wheels are going to go. For example, one might have a choice to go over or around a log in the trail. Going over the log is a more direct route, but going around is easier. There is not a right and a wrong answer as to which path to take; a skilled rider will likely go over the log, while a beginner will probably choose the smooth path around it. The shorter path is not always the line of choice, but avoiding obstacles is not always the way to go. As I was riding the other day, I thought about this and realized it’s much like living life. Decisions must be made quickly, and a poor decision could have bad consequences. Maybe it causes a ‘wreck,’ or costs you some time. A bad line choice won’t take you out of a race, but it may be more difficult to overcome whatever obstacle is in question, and it will slow you down. Also, what one person does in a given situation is not necessarily right for everyone, although we can learn from the mistakes or successes of others.

Choosing a line is an essential mountain biking skill, but it’s useless if the biker fails to carry out that choice. The best way to stick to your line is to keep your eyes on the path you wish to take. Don’t get distracted by the obstacle you are avoiding. Instead, focus on the path you do want to take. Once you have passed the obstacle, look ahead to the next one, analyze and execute. In life, it’s very easy to get distracted by the problems around us. It’s important, however, to keep our focus on our goal: where we look is where we go. It is necessary to acknowledge the challenge, but only briefly.

One more lesson can be taken from the idea of line choice: you don’t have to know the whole trail. As a biker, one guides his bike through obstacles one at a time. No one is expected to have the trail memorized or know where it goes. You don’t have to have life figured out in order to make good decisions, you only have to take one challenge at a time. Look ahead to where you’re going, but don’t worry just yet about what lies around the corner. Keep your focus on what you can control right now, and make the best of the trail that’s given to you. You can’t always choose your circumstances, but you can choose what to do with those circumstances.

About me: I am a freshman at Iowa State University studying engineering. In my free time I enjoy mountain biking and running; mountain biking because it’s thrilling and offers great views (among other reasons), and running because I enjoy pushing my physical limits beyond where I think they are.

We all need Forgiveness

At one time or another we have all been hurt, used, or abused. We've all been in a situation where we had the choice to forgive someone who hurt us or to hold that against them for the rest of our lives. For some it's easier to forgive and for others they'd rather die than forgive someone who "did them wrong". Why is that? Why is it so hard to forgive someone, why can't we move on? I believe the main reason is selfishness. We are so caught up in who did us wrong and how we can make them pay for it that we miss how much we are actually hurting the other people around us even if they weren't originally involved. It's selfish to think that you don't need to forgive someone because "you don't want to". Do you think you're so much better than them that YOU get to decide whether or not you will forgive them? Let me ask you something, do you think it's actually your place to decide that?

I'm going to share a few verses with you that may change your viewpoint on whether or not you're going to forgive that person in your who you just can't seem to forgive for one reason or another. Matthew 6:14-15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. BUT if you do not forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father WILL NOT FORGIVE YOUR SINS. If that doesn't scare you into picking up the phone right now and calling that person who you are refusing to forgive, whether they asked for it or not, then I don't know what will. Think about it for a second, If God didn't forgive you, you would be in a world of hurt when you died. If God didn't forgive you you would have nothing to live for, nothing to hope for, and no purpose in life. So let me say this one more time, If you don't forgive your fellow brothers and sisters God will not forgive you...

Romans 12:17-29 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay", says the Lord. If you've been hurt before and you think the person who did you wrong got off easy relax, God's got this. God defends his own and if God sees fit, that person will have their own share of trials, but God will take care of it, that's not your job. I've been told multiple times that you don't run away from your problems cause that doesn't solve anything, you stay and face them like a champ. Running from problems that you could easily fix doesn't make you a bigger person, when you run and hold a grudge you're letting the devil win and he loves that.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. There are so many examples of people in the Bible sinning and sinning and sinning and God forgiving them over and over again. If you read Judges you will be amazed by how many times God graciously forgives his people and when I read that I get frustrated and think, 'God, they never learn, just let them go!' but then God gently reminds me that I'm the same way and he has had to continually forgive me every single day.

So if God can forgive us for killing HIS SON, why can't we forgive someone who betrayed our trust, or let us down, or wasn't there for us when we needed them, or abused us. It's all in perspective.

God bless y'all! I hope you have an amazing day! I'd love to hear from y'all sometime if you ever want to talk! Thanks again for reading!

Katelyn