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

Pain

Life is a funny thing. You’re going about it, minding your own business and everything seems just fine, then all of a sudden you’re lying on you get knocked down and you're asking God, “What just happened?” As soon as you think you’ve figured it out you lose control and start spinning. 

I know life can be extremely hard at times and you have moments when you honestly feel like you can’t take another breath, but you do. That’s what makes you amazing, you take hold of God’s outstretched hand and he pulls you back to your feet and you keep pushing on, one foot in front of the other. Maybe you don’t talk about the rough things you’re going through cause you figure there’s people who have it worse. Drop that thought, okay? God cares just as much about your bad day at work as he does that your friend’s mom just died or that people are starving.

Another thing that I want you to realize is this. A heartbreak is a heartbreak, no matter what caused it. You could have been dating someone for 3 years and gone through a really bad heartbreak and be hurting just as bad as someone who just lost their best friend, or someone who broke up with their boyfriend after 6 months. Just because ‘It could be worse’ doesn’t mean that you can’t cry. Let it go, cry into your pillow, call your best friend, go for a long walk or drive, listen to music and let the tears fall without shame. Burying it won’t make it go away, trust me, it only makes it worse.

Let me tell you something that I have and am still struggling with; I don’t cry in front of people (or at least I do everything in my power not to), even my best friends. I think I’m too ‘tough’ to cry and if I show pain or hurt or sadness I’m showing weakness and I don’t do that. Granted, I don’t mind at all if others cry in front of me, I just won’t cry in front of them. That thought process has never helped heal my heart cause you know what, there’s a lot of healing power in tears. It’s like music, when you hear a song and the lyrics are describing your life to a “T” and for some reason that you can’t explain you feel better. That’s how tears work, whether you’re like me and you wait to cry alone to your pillow or you cry on your friend’s shoulder, let it go, let all that pain out and let God take care of it for you.

I don't believe that God ever intended for us to deal with our pain and struggles alone, Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave you nor forsake you." I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like God telling us to 'suck it up and hold it in', Whenever I read this verse I picture myself sitting on the ground crying, barley able to lift my head, and God comes over and kneels down next to me and takes my face in his hand, lifts my chin, looks me right in the eye, and with love and compassion in his voice tells me, "My daughter, it's going to be alright. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. I will never leave you or forsake you. You are mine girl and I have a perfect plan for you. I know it's hard right now and none of this is making sense but I promise it's all going to be okay." And then he pulls me to himself and holds me while I cry and he wipes my tears when I'm done. Then he pulls me to my feet and together we continue on this crazy journey called "life", hand in hand, side by side.

It's okay to hurt, it's okay to cry, there's no shame or judgment here. God's got you, and he has no intention of letting you go.

I hope y'all are enjoying your summer so far, don't forget how awesome you are and how loved you are! God Bless you! Have a wonderful day!

Katelyn

Reminiscing

It's graduation time!! My little brother, Brandon walked across the stage yesterday and I couldn't be more proud of everything he's accomplished in the past 4 years of high school. Watching him and all the other seniors graduating has been making me think a lot about when I was still in high school two years ago and there's some things I would like to share with those still in high school or middle school or already graduated.

This is my advice to you as someone who wishes I did a lot of things differently. to the middle-schooles; I know it's probably pretty rough for you right now, everyone is changing, you probably don't really know what you want to do with your life yet, all your friends are being weird, and you might not be sure where you even fit in in the social aspect of school yet. That's okay cause you know what, you don't need to know yet, middle school is kind of this weird transition stage between a kid and not quite an adult. At some restaurants you can still order off the kids menu but others you can't... Hang in there, it will start looking up, just give it some time.

High-schoolers; here's my advice to you that I wish I followed. Put in the time and work to get good grades, just because you're smart doesn't mean that you won't have any friends. Join a sport or a club, give band and/or choir a shot. Don't limit your 'friend group' to certain people, be everyone's friend, be friendly to everyone. Take advantage of those free classes, don't just take the easy ones that will get you the credits you need. Try different things that you might not do usually, step out of your comfort zone as often as possible. Have fun! High school would have been a lot more enjoyable for me if I would have done these things instead of just doing the bare minimum to get by.

Graduates; It's not too late for you, just like it's not too late for me. Even though high school is over, and maybe you're like me and didn't go to college and just jumped into the working class, doesn't mean it's too late for you to change the course of your life. I wish I was more social and involved in high school but I still can be even out of high school. I meet new people all the time at the store, or the park, or Panera, or work. I'm even looking for a community sports team to join so I can get my exercise in and so I can meet new people. If you are in college right now, join choir or a sport. Hang out in the commons and go up in talk to people. It may be awkward at first but in the end it will be worth it, trust me!

Well  I star a new job today so if you think of it, I would appreciate prayers! Thanks y'all! I hope y'all have an amazing day! God bless you and I wish you all the best of luck!!

Katelyn

Who's the real Enemy?

Lately every time I get on Facebook my news feed is filled with everyone's opinions and arguments about everything from politics to raising children to transgender bathrooms. There's ALWAYS two sides to every argument and it seems like no can ever agree on anything... We fight over stupid things and it's ruining our relationships with people who used to be our friends! We're treating our close friends as if they are our enemies but we've forgotten who the real enemy is.

Ephesians 6:12-13 'For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the Heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground.' Guys, We're told right here who our enemy is, our enemy is Satan and let me just tell you, he is having a hay day watching us turn on each other while he just sits back to watch. When we put all of our energy into telling everyone else why they are wrong and we are right, we are working with Satan.

Does it really matter if you push your opinion into every conversation? Is it going to benefit anyone at all? What if we focused more on commenting encouraging and uplifting things instead of negative and discouraging things? I am one of those opinionated people who will tell you the honest truth if you really want to know, and sometimes when you don't. It's something I've definitely struggled with for awhile but I'm starting to realize that people don't really care to hang around people like that, they would rather hang out with someone who will love on them and encourage them.

Let's think about what it would look like if we believed Ephesians 6:12-13 for a second. Whenever we saw someone who was doing something that we thought was wrong we would pray for them, we would pray for our government, we would join forces with other believers and work WITH them instead of against them. If someone posted something on social media about feeling depressed they would almost instantly have their inbox full of messages from their friends telling them they were praying and asking if there was anything they could do to help out. Think about how much better this world would be if that was truly the case! It would be AMAZING y'all! It CAN be amazing! We just have to focus our energy on our real enemy, not each other.

That's all for today! Y'all have an amazing day! I will be praying for each and everyone of you! God Bless!

Katelyn 

He called, they Followed

When someone asks you for a favor or for something that belongs to you do you agree right away, no questions asked? Or do you have to stop and think about it for a second? Do you weigh all your options and try to figure out if you could benefit in any way?

I was reading in Matthew chapter 4 and verses 18-20 jumped out at me. Matthew 4:18-20 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." AT ONCE they left their nets and followed him. They didn't ask questions, they didn't ask for a couple days to think about it, they didn't drag their feet, 'AT ONCE they left their nets and followed him.' Isn't that amazing?! Think how much faith they must have had to be able to just up and follow Jesus and they had know idea where they were going or where they would sleep or what they would eat... All they knew is that they wanted to follow Jesus and that was enough for them.

Just think how different our lives would be if we lived like that! We would probably live in a completely different world if we just followed Jesus wherever he asked us to go, no questions asked, just by faith. Our neighbors would would probably go to church with us, the people we interact with on a daily basis would have no doubt that we are Christians, Churches would be growing on a weekly basis, the people living on the streets who have lost all hope would have hope again. Y'all, we could truly change the world.

Jesus is calling you and He's calling me. Are we ignoring his call because it seems like a lot of work or it's scary? Or are we living the life that He is calling us to live? Are we reaching the people He's asking us to reach? Are you doing your part to change the world, or are you sitting around waiting for someone else to do it...? Think about it.

Jesus is calling you to follow him, will you answer that call?

As always I hope y'all have a blessed day! Smile cause you are loved!! God Bless You!

Katelyn

Grace

God's grace is a hard concept for me to wrap my head around. How could he let His only son, whom he loved very much, come to earth as a man knowing very well that he wouldn't be accepted by the very people he came to save.

I don't have kids yet but whenever I think about God sending Jesus to us I try to put myself in that position. I try to imagine what I would do if I had a son, or daughter, and someone killed them... I'm not exactly sure how I would react but I can tell you without a doubt that I would not invite them to come live in my home after that and I don't think I would have an easy time forgiving them. That's what God did though, He forgave us for killing his son, he still loves us so much that he still wants us to live with him in Heaven for the rest of eternity. That is what Grace looks like and I have a really hard time grasping that.

I don't think any of us realize what Grace really is until we've been shown it first hand. We all make mistakes and we've all done stuff that we wish we could undo and some have even done things that they think are 'unforgivable' and no one would ever be able to forgive them if they knew. I know what that feels like, I know the feeling in the pit of your stomach when you know you need to ask for forgiveness but you don't think they could ever forgive you. Here's the deal; you already have been forgiven. Jesus already paid the price of every sin you ever did or ever will do. You've been bought out of the enslavement of sin and the selling price was the Precious Blood of Jesus. He willingly gave his life on the cross so you could be made new and live with him in Heaven for eternity, all you have to do is confess that you've sinned and ask Jesus to come into your heart. That's what Grace is.

God bless y'all, I hope you have an amazing day and remember that you are loved.

Katelyn

It is Well with my Soul

I really like old Hymns because they are just so beautiful when sung by a room full of people worshiping God, but I have to say that my all time favorite hymn is 'It is Well with my soul'. We just sung this at my church recently and as I was singing I started to really listen to the words and take in what they were saying. The hymn goes like this...

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, 

when sorrows like sea billows roll; 

whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say, 

It is well, it is well with my soul. 

Refrain: 

It is well with my soul, 

it is well, it is well with my soul. 

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come, 

let this blest assurance control, 

that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, 

and hath shed his own blood for my soul. 

(Refrain) 

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! 

My sin, not in part but the whole, 

is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, 

praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! 

(Refrain) 

And, Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, 

the clouds be rolled back as a scroll; 

the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, 

even so, it is well with my soul. 

(Refrain) 

The part that stood out to me the most was in the second stanza where it says, 'Christ has regarded my helpless estate and hath shed his own blood for my soul. It is well with my soul.' Honestly the past couple of months have been a real roller coaster for me and there where times when I was feeling sorry for myself and I was frustrated with God because even though I had made all of the decisions that had brought me to where I was I still tried to blame God and tell him that he didn't understand what I was going through. The truth; He did and does understand, He went through so much worse for me. None of the "hard things" I was going through were his fault, they were the result of me not listening to Him. As I sang 'It is well with my soul' I realized that I meant those words and I felt a strong sense of peace because no matter what life throws my way, no matter how hard, I can truly say "It is well with my soul" because I have God watching my back and waiting to pick me up when I fall. He already made the ultimate sacrifice by coming to earth as a man and dying on the cross for my sins so that I could spend eternity with him in Heaven and that is something to get excited about I must say! If nothing else, that should give you Hope even on the darkest days! 'It is well with my soul."

God Bless y'all and I hope you have a wonderful day! Thank you for all who have encouraged me with this, you have no idea how much that means to me!!

Katelyn