There's a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she's wandered
And the shame she can't hide
She says, "How did I get here?
I'm not who I once was.
And I'm crippled by the fear
That I've fallen too far to love"
But don't you know who you are,
What's been done for you?
Yeah don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
Well she tries to believe it
That she's been given new life
But she can't shake the feeling
That it's not true tonight
She knows all the answers
And she's rehearsed all the lines
And so she'll try to do better
But then she's too weak to try
But don't you know who you are?
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/you-are-more-lyrics-tenth-avenue-north.html ]
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
'Cause this is not about what you've done,
But what's been done for you.
This is not about where you've been,
But where your brokenness brings you to
This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You are more than the choices that you've made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You've been remade.
You've been remade
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
You've been remade.
This song by Tenth Avenue North is the most encouraging piece of music I can think of. Its great. This guy tells you. Hey stop being stupid and down on yourself. God values you for who you are not what you've done, but the glory you will bring to him. Live as a light to him. Glorify Him in everything you do and strive to be like Him. AMEn?
January 31, 2011
Sorry I haven't encouraged you readers in a while ha but its just cause I know you don't need to be encouraged! You are doing so well! I think. But I just want to tell you to keep on going strong. Finish the race! I want to encourage you to hold you tongue. Its a problem I have alot. I trust people enough to tell them just about anything, but I need to hold my tongue and keep from telling them things they don't really need much less want to hear so prayer would help in that respect. But at the same time you can't shut people out of your lives. Some people are your friends and you can't go through life not telling them stuff just because it doesn't pertain to them. How can you have a close friendship with anyone if you do not hold them close enough to your heart to tell them something meaningful. But sometimes you lose trust in someone. How can you help it? You can't tell them how to earn your trust back. They have to figure it out on their own. What they did lost the trust you just can't hand out again. They expect you to give it back, because they are sorry they won't do it again. How can you do that? You can't do what they say when they want you to no matter how much they want you to. You have to let it happen. Remember when to speak and when not to, and remember what you put at stake when you betray someone's trust.
January 4, 2011
Matthew 11:28-30 says:
"28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
The Lord has given us a rest on the last bit of the year and given us a break between semesters of school. Now its our job to take the rest He has given us, use it and stand strong for Him. Know that He is Lord and live for Him. We all did so well living for Him over Gatlinburg, successfully having early morning quiet times that lasted for quite some time. We had a great break. I know each and every one of us did. So take advantage of it. Use this wonderful gift the Lord has given to you. He loves me He loves you. Give your problems to the Lord and only focus on glorifying Him in everything you do. Lots Of Love
I decided to start going from the top now... it seems easier.
November 30, 2010
You are reading this for what seems to be encouragement but I gotta say, half the encouragement comes from yourself, not me. For those few of you that actually do read this, I want to challenge you with this thought.
Rain. What was your first thought? Gloomy? Stuck inside? I really don't know why people think of this all the time because rain is just water and going out in the rain cannot be that terribly unsafe. In fact, running around in the rain is most probably one of my top favorite activities. A rainy day isn't a gloomy day. It isn't a day that is just indubitably going to be terrible. Its all in your head. Its all in how you perceive rain. Rain isn't harmful. Unless you go into the polluted rain, that's nasty stuff. But rain is a refresher. Its God's way of starting you off nice and fresh from something that went poorly. Or if you've been chugging along just fine and dandy, well then He probably wanted to reward you with a little everlasting drink :). So stay fresh my peoples and know that He is God.
You must read down the page. So scroll on down.
So as most of you know, school has started back up again and everyone (except a few) has begun to get back into the swing of things. This process can be so overwhelming, as I know good and well. It can be so tough that you think you cannot get through it. You think that there is no possible way that you can do all of this at once and you should just stop and re-evaluate your choices for the year. I mean, what can we do? I didn't know that 5 AP classes would be quite this strenuous when combined with soccer, church, debate, engineering, a-teams, choir, and an assortment of other activities. How would I know? Can you do it?
Sorry, but you can't. You never can, and never will. So don't even try. You can come nowhere near close to success in any situation. You can do nothing, unless you trust in God. He will carry you through each and every situation. He must be in you, guiding you along the way. Isaiah 43:2-3 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the holy one of Israel who saves you." God must be present and you must trust in Him for all things, because you can do nothing without Him, but Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." You can do anything with the help of the Lord, but you have to trust in Him, give Him the throne, and know that He is sovereign.
I'm not saying this to make it seem like everyone has a pity party. I just wanted to give words of encouragement throughout this school year, and keep you going strong. Peace and Love and Blessings.
August 31, 2010
So you know... its all about fallin down and getting back up, hard times, and tough luck. Perserverance. That spelled right? What do you do when everything you've built up for years, comes crashing down? The walls you've built fall to the ground, the allies you've made are all gone. What is there to do? To what, or who, do you turn? Do you look to your best friend? The things that you believe will make you happy? Or do you just wallow? Sit and brood on your utter failure at trusting and choosing people and defenses and then be depressed until it all comes back together magically?
Me? I like to turn to trusty fried chicken. Nothing like a good ole artery blockage to get your mind goin right?Ha. No I turn to my sister. I ask her for advice on my problems and troubles, and vice versa. The thing is that each time we turn each other away. We tell the other that we have to go look to God. Human opinions and attempts at satisfaction will fail. Their opinions are biased, their characters flawed. Nothing they can do is untainted by sin. God is everlasting. He is true. He will never fail and is always there to pick you back up, and give you that amazing grace that is able to save your souls. He is the one, now and forever. The Tenth Avenue North song, Satisfy, says show me that you are all i want and all i need. Best song ever. Second best? As she's walking away by Zac Brown and Alan Jackson.
You know you always try and fill this up with stuff and it always lets you down. You wanna never be let down? Never trust in anything other than God. God is the best thing you can ever get and he's all you could ever need. So the encouragement part? I encourage you to see where you look to other things, to look and see where you can find God more frequently. Find Him wherever you can.
September 11, 2010
I found today to be an interesting day to update my words of encouragement. I know that some of you may have relatives in the army or overseas or maybe even died in 9/11, I'm not sure who exactly reads this I've noticed 8 people from Canada have so go Canada! These words of encouragement come from Psalms 9.
1 [a]I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will tell of all your wonders.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back;
they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause;
you have sat on your throne, judging righteously.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
you have blotted out their name for ever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy,
you have uprooted their cities;
even the memory of them has perished.
7 The LORD reigns forever;
he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He will judge the world in righteousness;
he will govern the peoples with justice.
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, enthroned in Zion;
proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers;
he does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.
13 O LORD, see how my enemies persecute me!
Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises
in the gates of the Daughter of Zion
and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug;
their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The LORD is known by his justice;
the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.
Higgaion. [b] Selah
17 The wicked return to the grave, [c]
all the nations that forget God.
18 But the needy will not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
19 Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph;
let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, O LORD;
let the nations know they are but men.
Selah
This passage speaks volumes to me. I won't explain it all or I will be here all night typing, but I want you to know that the Lord is always with you. He will strike your enemies with terror because He is on your side ALWAYS. Your enemies have no hold over you, because Christ Jesus, the Lord of Glory, is with you. He will never forsake you. God will never forget you. What can I say? You must know that He is all powerful? Do you know this God? He is the strength, the stronghold, redeemer, friend, Eloi, Jehovah, Messiah, Savior, Prince of Peace, Prince of Light, SON OF GOD. And yet some of us, myself included cannot remember Him continuously throughout the day. How is that encouraging? The encouragement is that He remembers us even when we don't remember Him. He loves us forever. He loves you and He had a purpose for taking your relatives and mine into the war, He wants to draw you and others closer to Him for the furthering of His kingdom. Be loved my friends and know that He is the one and only Messiah the Lord of Love who has come to save your souls from eternal separation from Him. TUO DA GLORIAM!
September 13, 2010
So the other day I was with a boy, a younger boy, one whom most would expect to be simplistic and misunderstanding in some of the more advanced concepts of religion and science and such, 1st grade or so. I was talking to him about how school was going and he replied that he was learning about the planets, and he wanted me to push him on the swing so he could reach venus (which he eventually did, along with rooey, the man on the moon). We were having fun, and, being myself, I asked him what his favorite color was, "Pink," he replied, "And White, because Jesus is white. Do you know why He glows white? Did you know that Jesus follows me home everyday? He protects me everywhere I go." I found such inspiration from this boy. I do not feel the need to say a name, but his words were far more important to me.
How could a first grade boy say something that he presumed to be so simple, yet we hold as one of the most troubling complexities of our known age. First off the fact that he can grasp the omnipresence of the Lord, but also the faith he puts in such beliefs. This little boy had more faith than I could see in any person the rest of the day. Everyone doubts indeed, but this boy believed, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus would follow him home and protect him along the way, and maybe even find his lost dog too. Take encouragement, for this is an example of the faith we should have. We must be God's children, following him just like this little boy is, knowing that he will be with us along the way. TUO DA GLORIAM!
September 23, 2010
What should I do to try and encourage you with? I don't know what to encourage myself with. Its tough right now. I'm not sure why, but I run around with no place to go, I generally need a drive. I want to glorify Him. I get so worn out sometimes, I just need His strength to get through the day, I just can't find it. I want it so badly, but its just within my reach. So I keep looking, I read, and I know that He will come through this storm and receive His help. Just as a side note I just got home with my dinner. I had to stop by winn dixie to buy some burgers to cook because I went to McDonalds and ordered and there was no one at the first window for five minutes, so I pulled to the next one... which was also empty... anyways yeah... Isaiah 41:28-31 is an awesome testimony to how we will be lifted from these trials.
28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.
29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
31 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.”
God will left us up on the wings of eagles and will forevermore renew our strength. Trust in Him and He shall make your paths straight forevermore.
∫ September 25, 2010∫
end of the beginning
This time I don't want to try and encourage you and make you happy or feel better about yourself. I want you to watch that video and listen to the song and realize two things. First that God loves you so much and that He has given us His word which is able to save your soul. Second. I want you to take this song and use it as a testimony to how you should live your life. We need to be reaching out to those in this world that do not know God just like this guy did in the song. Take it to heart and live your life for Him.
∫ September 28, 2010∫
Well where are we now? I put that little page on my home page so that it points to a spot on the mountain. I'm that far up ha.
1 Praise the LORD!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
For it is pleasant, and praise is beautiful.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem;
He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;
His understanding is infinite.
6 The LORD lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.
I see these verses. This passage is a great piece of encouragement found in the Bible. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds and he counts the number of the stars; he calls them all by name. You know this is our last year together. Those of you who read this know I really wanna go out of state to go to college. I would not be angry about staying in Alabama, but I would prefer to be able to go out of state and be able to travel, to see the world, knowing and experiencing other cultures. He counts the stars..... and calls them all by name. His power is awesome. His majesty is amazing. Great is OUR lord, and MIGHTY in power; HIS understanding is INFINITE. TheRE IS NOtHinG HE Can'T do. PRAisE HiS NaME. I heard this from my mom first: Every single time you look up at the moon at night. You can know for a fact that no matter where I am in the world, I am looking up at the same moon each night. I will miss you all, but that's not what matters. I will always be your brother in Christ, you can always rely on me. You can always call, text, email, or facebook me. I will not always be there for you, but you can always know that God is. God is the bastion of your strength. He is the one who you can always rely on. Be encouraged by that forever.
8 November 2010
Well its been like a month and change since I've encouraged you guys and for the few of you who read this I want you to know that I am thinking about it and praying for each of you that need encouragement. Take Psalms 91 for this post's encouragement.
Nothing can take us from Him. Can you see it? His love is so great, His power so mighty, that nothing will be able to touch us, no pestilence or arrows or destruction. No evil, no plague, nothing will come near you because you have made the Lord your dwelling place. Just think about it guys I know this is a really simple analogy for the greatness of our God, but thing about it. The entire universe is made up of particles that only differ in the number of even smaller particles that make them up. The Lord God has arranged these little particles so that they form our known universe. He has taken the time to make sure that all the teenie tiny particles are in the right spot, but we doubt whether or not He can seriously be there for us and fulfill us. I know I am in no way the one to talk about being satisfied by God. I am such a sinner there is no possible way that I can say I don't seek to be satisfied by the world in one way or another, but listen to me on this. God can satisfy you if you let Him, and I advise you to do so.
Psalm 91
Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most HighShall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”
3 Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler[a]
And from the perilous pestilence.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers,
And under His wings you shall take refuge;
His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
5 You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
6 Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
And ten thousand at your right hand;
But it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes shall you look,
And see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
10 No evil shall befall you,
Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
11 For He shall give His angels charge over you,
To keep you in all your ways.
12 In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13 You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.
14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will deliver him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him,
And show him My salvation.”
