I Will Give You Rest

Happy New Year, everyone!
Isn't it crazy that it's 2020 already? Somehow that number sounds so futuristic. ;) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with family and friends! We had many different celebrations around Christmas time--since both Luke's family and mine live nearby now, it makes for a jam-packed schedule of spending time at different homes around the holidays. It was a ton of fun, though, and we are so thankful to have like minded family that we can fellowship freely with and not have to worry about angry dinner conversations or difficult choices on what to refuse participation in politely. I definitely don't take that for granted, because I know so many have to face things like that around the holidays!

Baby boy Orwig is doing very well, and likes to make his presence very known these days with lots and lots and LOTS of movement!! ;) He is such a crazy active little fellow...most especially at night when this Mama is trying to get some sleep. Ha! I'm 26 weeks along, so the third trimester is coming right up. In many ways it feels like this pregnancy is going very quickly, but other times (like when I am trying to get things done and feel like a three ton walrus) it seems like a very long time till he gets here. ;P I know the time will come before we know it, though!

This post is one that I've actually been wanting to write since before Christmas, but I keep putting it off because I keep studying more about the topic, and finding new verses that I love and want to include, and well...just don't be surprised if there happens to be a Part 2 to this post at some point in the future! :)

One of the biggest things God has been working on me about lately is the idea of rest. Both physical and spiritual. Physically, rest has become absolutely vital to me over the last few months, as some small difficulties with pregnancy have made it extremely hard for me to be the go-getter that I typically am/want to be. And quite honestly, as my body grows and changes with every day that goes by, physical rest is becoming even MORE important! :) Much more vital than physical rest, however, is spiritual rest. 

To be honest, I have failed at both types of rest quite often lately. Out of frustration with current physical limitations, I push myself too hard and wind up knocked over and hurting a lot more than is necessary. In a spirit of faithlessness, I refuse to trust God and His promises to me and become fretful and worried, living in doubt and fear and stressing out for no reason.

I've never really done the whole "Word of the Year" thing before...I know many friends who have really enjoyed it, but I had just never actually chosen ONE concept to focus on throughout the year. But at the beginning of this year, I realized that God had been speaking to me about this SO much, it was almost a given: my word of the year for 2020 is "Rest". 

This has been a lot of intro, I know, but I wanted to give some background into my study and how much it means to me before I just launched in. :) Here are a few things I have written down in my study journal over the last couple months. (Alliterated because I'm Baptist and that's just what we do, haha!! ;P)

1. The Preparation for Rest
"And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning." Exodus 16:23

God Himself instituted the practice of resting (specifically on the Sabbath) when He created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. Later, He set up this principle for His people to follow. However, God didn't expect or require them to simply drop everything and rest with no preparation or provision for the rest period. They were to make ready in order to be purposefully still and not work. However, this did NOT mean that all tasks were perfectly complete and nothing was left undone before they rested. They made specific preparations for the Sabbath, and when the day came, they rested. Whatever was left undone could simply wait until the next day. In our goal-oriented and perfectionist society today, we sometimes have a hard time resting while there are still tasks to be done. However, there will always be something to do, something to fill our time with. The decision lies with us to let some of that go and CHOOSE to purposefully rest.

2. The Purpose of Rest
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed. Exodus 23:12

God's plan for rest is that His children will be refreshed and uplifted. His thoughts toward us are of good, not evil, and His commandments to us are not grievous (burdensome or harsh). Rest is a "good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) from the hand of God, meant to bless, not harm. In 1 Chronicles 22:9 and 2 Chronicles 14:6, The Bible speaks of God giving someone rest as a gift or a blessing. When viewed correctly, rest is a valuable resource and should be treated as such.

3. The Placement of Rest
"And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." 2 Chronicles 14:11

If you are familiar with this story, you'll know that Asa was facing terrible, overwhelming circumstances. As in, going up against a million man army with only half that many on his own side. And yet, in the midst of even that circumstance, he was able to find a place of rest in God.

You may have heard the statement made about joy that it is found in God and does not depend on surroundings or circumstances the way happiness can. Well, from God's Word, it seems to me that rest too can be found even in the middle of chaos, heartbreak, or trial...IF it is a rest based firmly upon God and His promises. It is a CHOICE, not a feeling or an emotion. True rest comes from seeking after God fervently and choosing to trust His Word. 

As I studied this out, it struck me how many things in our Christian lives are like this. Love? It's a choice and an action...though those warm feelings are sometimes there as well, they are a result of the good choices we make, not the other way around. Joy? Same thing. It's a decision we make to not allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude. It's finding our stability in God. Here's a verse that I found during this study that I thought was SO precious:

"And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about."

2 Chronicles 15:15

4. The Price of our Rest

"And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious." Isaiah 11:10

The ultimate place of rest is in heaven, in the very presence of God. This rest cannot be obtained without accepting the price that Jesus Christ paid for our redemption--His own blood. Not only can we not reach heaven without Christ, but even here on this earth we will never find true rest outside of a relationship with him. The world talks a lot about finding inner peace and tranquility, and yet their version of those things are shallow and transient at best if they are not based upon The One who is the true Prince of Peace.

5. The Procurement of Rest

"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass." Psalm 37:7

This point is similar to No. 3, but I couldn't figure out how to split these thoughts up exactly how I wanted, so two points it is. ;) Like many exercises of faith in our lives, the obtainment of God's rest takes commitment and a daily series of rest-producing choices. This verse in Psalm 37 speaks of waiting patiently for God (choice) and NOT fretting (yet again, a choice). I looked up the dictionary definition of "fret" and thought it was interesting:

Fret: (1) Be constantly or visibly worried or anxious. 

(2) To gradually wear away by rubbing or gnawing.

Fretting both violates a clear command of Scripture (Be careful for nothing...Phillipians 4:6), but also wears away and gnaws at my strength, joy, and hope in God.

I feel like so many times we SAY we want God's rest and peace, and yet the moment by moment choices we make contradict that desire completely. (And I'm as guilty of this as anyone.) One of the biggest things I've noticed in myself is that I hardly ever give myself a CHANCE to actually rest and be still! Every free or quiet moment is squelched by me trying to fill my time up constantly, many times with useless things like scrolling my phone for the twentieth time that day or doing some other frivolous activity instead of taking a moment to just be still. 

Sometimes all it takes to find that rest we crave is to remind ourselves of the goodness and bounty of God.  "Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling." Psalm 116:7-8

Other times, rest can only come through chastisement and repentance/restoration. (As in the case of unrest being due to our own sin or disobedience). "Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of thy law; That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked. For the LORD will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance." Psalm 94:12-14

I realize this post may seem a little incoherent, but like I said, I have just kept discovering more and more things in God's Word about rest and being still, and it's been really hard to narrow it down enough for a blog post. ;) Let me wrap up with a few more verses I found that I think sum up all these ideas quite well.

"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." Jeremiah 6:16a

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

"I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope." Psalm 16:8-9

 "For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength:" Isaiah 30:15a

This year, I want to choose to rest in The Lord, no matter the circumstance or situation that I face. How about you?

Mykaela

Praiseworthy

Hi Everyone!
Today is a day off work for me, and I decided what better time to write a post for my blog readers that have probably kind of forgotten about my existence? :D Today's post is based on my notes from a few weeks ago...I have recently been filling in teaching Children's Bible Study (Sunday School) at my church. We have about 10 kids on average, all children of the church members, so the majority of the older ones are saved and can listen on a functional level. The little ones, not quite so much. ;) Having a mixed age class has been a bit of a challenge, but it's really fun to try to teach deeper concepts for the older ones, but using language that the littles can understand. :) 

I am teaching the class along with another lady, and we've been going through Phillipians 4:8 and the things we should be focusing and dwelling on throughout the day. Each 'whatsoever'...true, honest, just, pure, etc. has been our "word of the week" and the central point of that week's lesson.

It was my turn to teach, and I got the word focus "Praiseworthy". (...and if there be any praise, think on these things.) By definition, it means deserving of approval or admiration, exemplary, or commendable. As I studied this word, one person in the Bible stuck out to me the most as being a praiseworthy person, and that was Joseph. He lived up to this character trait in so many ways! Here are a few thoughts I had in relation to Joseph's life.

1. He had an Obedient Spirit.
Genesis 37:13, "And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I."

Joseph was faithful to obey his father without murmuring or dispute. Even though he and his older brothers had a pretty poor relationship, and they made no secret of their disdain for him, he didn't drag his feet and balk against his father's request. He may not have felt like doing the task, but he did it with a willing spirit, as indicated by his response of "Here am I."

2. He had a faithful Servant's Heart.
Genesis 39:1-6 "And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither. And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured."

Joseph was sold into bondage by his own brothers. These were his immediate family! Of all the people in his life, he should have been able to trust them, but no...they sold him. How much hurt must he have had to overcome in God's strength! It is clear, however, that Joseph did not become bitter and hardened by this massive trial in his life. He didn't have a "poor me, my brothers are such jerks, my life is horrible" attitude. Instead, he served humbly and faithfully in the house of the man he was sold to. This reminds me of the little girl in the story of Naaman. Instead of doing as little as possible and rebelling under these hard circumstances, Joseph and the little girl both served their masters to the best of their abilities. This passage says that God specifically had His hand of blessing on Joseph. God does not specially bless people who are not walking in His will. Obviously, Joseph must have been walking with The Lord with all his heart and striving to please Him. Because of this, God even blessed Joseph's unsaved master! How interesting to note that when our lives are aligned with God's Word and we are walking by His side, He can not only bless us greatly, but those around us as well! Sometimes, our testimony can even be used of God to bring others to salvation. It is both exciting and sobering to come to the realization of how much our actions and spiritual walk can affect the people we are in contact with.

3. He resisted temptation and sin with all his might.

Genesis 39:9-10 "There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her."

Joseph was 100% determined and purposed that his life would stay pure and holy in the sight of God. Even when temptation quite literally came knocking at his door, day after day after day, he refused to be worn down by it. He didn't weaken and begin to compromise as some would have easily been tempted to do, but instead grew even firmer in his refusal to sin. Even to the point of physically removing himself from the situation with all haste, he was willing to go to great lengths to protect his heart, soul, and body from evil. How vehement are we in fighting against the daily temptations we face? Personally, I know there are areas in my life that I have weakened on over time, simply due to the continual nature of the temptation. It is so easy to become complacent or uncaring about certain sins because I see them so. much. And yet, that's when it becomes even more important to fight against them! How will others be affected by my testimony if I become complacent about wrong? 

4. He truly cared for others above himself.

Genesis 40:6-7 "And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his lord's house, saying, Wherefore look ye so sadly to day?"

We know the story; Joseph was falsely accused by the evil woman who had tried and failed to seduce him, and was now rotting in prison for an indefinite amount of time. At this point, I think most of us would have thrown in the towel, so to speak! What possible purpose could God have in the seemingly endless string of injustices he was having to endure? And yet, even now, in the darkest time of all, Joseph's attitude and integrity were such that he was placed in a position of authority within the prison. God had not forgotten him, but was setting the stage for great and mighty things. We can see that now, reading these passages from Genesis, but Joseph was in the middle of it. He didn't know the end result, or what God was doing, and yet he still remained submitted to whatever God's will was. 

He performed his duties in the prison well, and we can see from this passage that he truly cared about those under his jurisdiction. He could have done the bare minimum, delivering food to the prisoners and whatever else he was called on to do, speaking as little as possible. Instead, he chose to engage and show compassion on these men when he saw that they were distressed about something. He empathized with them, and sought out whether or not he could help in any way. This is such an amazing display of a Christlike attitude! This is part of the reason I love this story so much...Joseph's life is such a strong example to me! How often do I rush through my duties and the demands of life without taking the time or effort involved to truly care about others? I can see them, but do I actually see them? Do I look at them through Christ's eyes, searching out the hurt and showing compassion? 

5. He was humble and gave glory to God for his gifts.

Genesis 41:15-16 "And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

By this time, two years later, the butler had finally remembered him, and Joseph had been brought before Pharaoh to interpret a dream. This is a fairly impressive gift to have...obviously there was no one else in the kingdom able to do the task. Joseph could have become self focused and puffed up with pride over this God-given ability, but instead, he deflected the glory and honor back to The One who had bestowed it. His heart was humble and focused on the right thing--The Lord and his walk with Him.

6. He held no bitterness, and forgave freely.

Genesis 50:19-20 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Even after all the evil they had done to him, Joseph didn't hold a grudge against his brothers. He didn't seek revenge, though as the second most powerful man in the world at that time, he could have done so with a snap of his fingers. His kindness and grace to them was evident to all involved. He fully lived up to the verse that commands us to love our enemies! His view of all that had occurred was not skewed by his personal feelings or emotions...he acknowledged the fact that every circumstance in his life was orchestrated by the mighty hand of God, for a very special purpose. 

In all of these areas and more, Joseph's actions, words, and attitudes were praiseworthy and righteous. How praiseworthy are my day to day actions and interactions? Referring back to Phillipians 4:8, God's Word tells us that we should be dwelling on the things that are praiseworthy. There's another thought. Do I look for the good in what others are doing and focus on that? Or am I picking apart their lives, thinking and speaking about the bad, not seeing the beam in my own eye, so to speak? May I grow daily more and more like Christ in my own life, and look for the praiseworthy in the lives of others!

Mykaela

The Power of Music

Psalm 100:2 Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. 

To say that I love music would be a severe understatement. I am passionate about it. Music is such a huge and important part of my life, I can't imagine what my day to day life would look without it. (Just look at the name of my blog! :)

Whether I am driving, washing dishes, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, working out, writing, reading, or just lying on my bed thinking, I will usually have music playing, or be singing myself. Just ask my family...it is a part of just about every waking moment of my day. ;)

Music is fascinating, powerful, and entirely underestimated by many people. Let me say it again, because it is so true:

Music. Has. Power.

Music can inspire, encourage, and brighten a day. Conversely, it can cause depression, frustration, stress, and dark thoughts when used for evil. My entire mood can be changed for better or worse, depending on what music I am around. Don't get me wrong, I am always responsible to act and react in a Godly way, no matter the surroundings. However, music has such a great propensity to affect even the little areas of life!

Because music holds such power, we need to be very, very careful with it. The Almighty Himself is musical; He proves it in the nearly 600 Scripture references to songs, singing, music, instruments, and musicians. Music is a good and holy thing when used in a Godly manner. 

However, for every good thing God has given us, Satan has made an evil counterfeit. So called "Contemporary Christian Music", or "Christian Rock", or any other form of worldly music tweaked the tiniest bit to sound spiritual, is not Christian. In any way, shape, or form. I'm being blunt here, but it's true. When all you do is take the world's fleshly music and change the words, there is no difference. I have seen videos of "Christian" concerts, that literally looked like a heavy metal performance. NO discernible difference, except you could maybe catch a random reference to God scattered through all the screaming, pounding thrashing drummers, and lights wild enough to give you an instantaneous migraine. It's really sad to me that so many Christians are fooled into thinking this is right and good. In Isaiah 5:20, it says, "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" What better example of this verse than music that feeds the old man, the unregenerate flesh, and calls it a holy thing!

As followers of Christ, it is our responsibility to discern between good and evil. To walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh. I realize that many who are deceived by the modern "Christian" music movement are sincere in trying to worship God. However, you can be sincere in doing something, but be sincerely wrong in doing it. Music is something that has led many people astray, because it is important to us as humans. We are made in the image of God, and God loves music. Because of that, we are born with an innate appreciation for beautiful melodies and harmonies. Just watch a small child when there is music playing. They will almost always be wiggling or singing or banging along! Music is so close to our hearts that it's easy to become caught up in the emotional side of it without stopping to think about whether or not it is truly honoring to God. 

An interesting thing to consider about the relationship between music and the way we were created by God: Just as God has three parts (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost), so we have three parts--Spirit, Soul, and Body. The melody (tune) of music appeals to the spirit, the harmony (chords) to the soul, and the rhythm (beat) to the body. Satan's counterfeit godly music is dominated by the rhythm. The goal is to stimulate the flesh, not the soul or the spirit. True Godly music does have a rhythm, (obviously! ;), but it is not rhythm dominant. The goal of Godly music is to bring glory and praise to God, and to refresh and uplift the spirit. (Not the flesh). 

Here are some important questions to ask yourself, with an open heart, about the music you listen to on a regular basis:
1. Does the Holy Spirit lead you to listen to this music? Rom. 8:14
2. Can you pray while listening to this music? 1 Thess. 5:17
3. Does it bring glory to God? 1 Cor. 10:31
4. Does it offend other Christians or cause them to stumble in any way? 1 Cor. 8:13
5. Does this music appeal to the flesh, or to the soul and spirit? What draws you to it? Rom. 8:5
6. Does this music create Godly joy in your life? Isaiah 51:11
7. Would you be comfortable letting your pastor, your parents, and the most Godly Christians you know sit down and listen to this music? (Wow, that's a hard hit!) Heb. 13:17, Prov. 24:6
8. What doctrines are being taught through this music? Titus 2:1

It is my sincere hope that you will prayerfully consider these thoughts. Please know that my purpose was not to offend anyone through this post, but if you are offended...maybe there might be something you need to change? Believe me, I KNOW this is a delicate subject, and it can be difficult to let go of long-held beliefs (or lack thereof), on the subject of what is or is not Godly music. I have faced struggles with this at various times in my life, and sometimes it is not easy even to discuss it with people, because it seems that there are so many different opinions on the topic! However, in James 1:5 God promises that He will give His wisdom to those who ask for it with unwavering faith. He will guide and direct your steps! 

May the music we listen to, write, sing, and play be a source of encouragement and blessing to everyone around us. Especially The God who created music for us to enjoy!
Mykaela

The Mind Stayed on Jehovah

Isaiah 26:3-4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength:

These verses are fairly well known, so much so that I feel we tend to overlook them sometimes. Just because a verse is embedded in your mind does not diminish its power! 

One important thing I have noticed recently is the word "mind" in verse 3. 

Who will The Lord keep in perfect peace and give everlasting strength to? The one whose mind is stayed on Him. The man or woman who chooses to make their thoughts be focused on the things of God instead of the world. The one who has temptation come knocking and turns from it with the knowledge that to succumb would be to grieve the heart of a holy God. The one who keeps their thoughts from straying to places they should not go. 

When all is said and done, where does every sin start? In the mind. You can't steal something before you think about stealing something. You can't lie without creating the lie in your mind first. You can't become bitter and angry at someone unless you first thought over your perceived wrongs from them and chose not to deal properly with the anger. 

When your mind is stayed and fixed on the Most High, low thoughts have no place. When you are focused on the Holiest of the Holy, unholy thoughts can't enter. When you are trusting the One whose perfect compassion and love redeemed you from eternal death, how can hateful or unloving thoughts take root? 

To the one whose mind is stayed on God, there is promised perfect peace. Freedom from turmoil and unrest. A place of refuge under the shadow of His mighty wings. There is also promised everlasting strength. Strength to fight against the temptation that pounds in from all sides. Strength to stand when others are falling into sin. Strength to walk in His footsteps even when the path becomes rough and jagged. 

It takes faith and purpose of heart to keep our minds stayed on Jehovah. It's not something that will happen in one instant. But how worthwhile it is when more and more of our time is spent meditating on the things of God and on His Word, instead of filling our minds with the things of earth! How precious it is when the love of Christ begins to overshadow the temptations that come, giving us strength to endure and resist them! Is it not worth the effort? If we love Him, we should be keeping His commandments, and they are not grievous! 

This week, I want to focus my heart and mind on the King who saved me, turning away from the chaos of a wicked world. I want to fight in the strength of The Lord against the temptation that will come. I want to reach out to the lost around me with love, knowing that in Christ lies the peace that they seek.

Will you join me?

Mykaela

Some Random Bits of Life Advice (From someone who totally doesn't have it all together ;)

Hey, guys!
So today's post is a little different than normal. I am mainly going to be addressing Christian young ladies, (as far as I am aware that is my main demographic anyway ;). As I mentioned in the title, I totally don't have it figured out. I am not a super Christian. I don't consider myself wiser or holier than you. 

But God has done great things in my life, and has taught me and shaped me over the 10 years I have been following Him. I am still learning every single day, and I hope to continue till the day I die, but here are a few little tidbits I've gleaned so far! These are things that I would VERY much like to tell my younger self if I had 9 or 10 year old Mykaela standing in front of me. Some points are silly, some very serious...my hope is that someone somewhere will get a little something out of it. (I know, that was a lot of "some's" ;) Also, special thanks to Kimberly for inspiring this post with her post on turning 20. :) Also, pretty much every single thing below I am still working on myself. Maybe we can work on them together! :)

So here we go...have a seat, grab a mug of coffee (or tea if you are weird), and chat with me for a while! :)

• Your parents love you a LOT. And they do want what's best for you, no matter what it may seem like to you sometimes. Honor and cherish their wisdom. They aren't perfect, but they are doing their best, and a day will come that your heart will break over all the times you broke theirs.
• Say thank you all the time!! It's becoming a lost art.
• You are not as wise or smart as you think you are. Ever. Please, please do not blurt your opinion dogmatically in front of people, unless it is straight out of Scripture. I promise you, at some point you WILL end up looking like an idiot, and it will be sad. :(

• Save your money. I know that thing looks really awesome, but ask yourself if you will still be using it in a year. (If it's not food obviously, lol!). If the answer is no, it may be a good time to rethink that purchase!
• Try to make at least a few moments of stillness every day. No phone, no computer, no talking...just being still. Take this time to think about Who God is, and to thank Him. It will make your day so much brighter! :)
• Use makeup wisely. You aren't a clown, you are a classy young lady of grace.
• Read good books. Especially history books, they'll come in handy later! ;)
• KNOW HOW TO READ AND WRITE CURSIVE.
• School kind of stinks, but do it quickly and with integrity, and at some point you'll be glad you did it. I'm still waiting for that point to come. :'D (JK! Sort of.)
• You will sometimes fail at things. That doesn't mean you are a horrible person, or even that you are bad at that thing! Get back up and try it again! <3
• Bread is always always always better warm!! If I come to your house and you serve cold dinner rolls, I'm going to ask to use your microwave, or just straight up use it without asking. ;P Warm up that bread basket 3 minutes before you eat, I promise it will be super awesome.
• Little kids have it right...sometimes you just gotta go splash in a mud puddle and go down the slide backwards. Who do you have to impress?!
• Learn to cook...I really need to work on this more myself. (I highly prefer the unhealthy skill of baking. ;P)
• Be. Modest. In dress AND demeanor. A flirt is something you should NEVER stoop to being. Ever.
• Take care of your body, but don't obsess. God has made you perfectly, and seriously EVERYONE has a pooch in front, okay? You are not fat, I promise. Stay active, drink water, and eat wisely, but don't stress over it! It's so much more lovely to see a woman who is confident and has inner beauty shining forth than someone who can fit a size 0 dress with room to spare, but has a rotten outlook or is body-obsessed. (If you are naturally that small, don't take offense, just saying. ;P) Also, I know a lot of guys who would back me up on that. :)
• Speaking of guys, they should not be the highlight of your existence...Christ should be! I know it's hard if you are 13 and you are just discovering this new world of males opening up before you. But really truly, you will have so much time for that later, it's REALLY NOT worth thinking about right now. I cannot stress this enough! If you are not old enough to get married tomorrow, please don't have marriage be your focus!!!!!!!!
• Sometimes you will have more money, sometimes you'll have less. Learn to be frugal, but more than that, learn to be content with wherever God has you financially right now. Hard lesson, but well worth learning. :)
• People don't care as much as you think they do. That sounds weird, but honestly, in 8 years no one at all will remember that embarrassing thing you did...except you. Don't keep cringing over it, it's okay, really. People have too many of their own embarrassing moments to hide from to worry about keeping track of yours. :)
• When in doubt, dress UP, not down. Being the only one in denim at a black tie event would not be a fun experience...best not risk it. ;P
• Don't expect people to notice when you get your hair cut. Don't ask why, this is just something that I have learned, and you just have to accept it. :'D
• Try to notice the little beautiful moments and things in life, because they really aren't little. Suck in those memories, jump into adventures with both feet, cherish the precious times....they won't be here forever. 
• Pearls are pretty much always a good idea. As is lace. :)
• Keep a journal. It doesn't have to be long or detailed, but just write something. It will become an absolute treasure later.
• Print off pictures when you can. I know, I know...in this digital age it seems stupid and outdated to make prints. But really, when your computer crashes and all data is erased, or your hard drive is somehow destroyed, you will be sooo glad you have something!
• Strong perfume is never a good idea. Just don't.
• Love your family!!! Friends come and go, but family is stuck with you forever, and vice versa. ;)
• While friends do come and go, they are brought into your life for a reason. If you discover a friend that sticks with you through thick and thin and encourages you closer to The Lord, keep them!! :) True friends are hard to come by! You will have arguments, but communication, prayer, and forgiveness will go a long way to gluing your friendship together even tighter. 
• Prayer is so important...I don't know how to be more serious with this, but it is the life blood of your walk with God. Don't neglect it!!
• Read God's Word before you touch electronics in the morning. We all need to work on keeping Him first priority!
• Your church family is a GIFT. Treat it as such.

Wow, this got a lot longer than I intended! If you are still reading all the way down here, then THANK YOU for sticking with me! :D What would you add to this list? What stuck out to you the most? Any advice you have for me??? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you guys! Have an awesome weekend! :) Love,

Mykaela

What Does God Think of Us?

Psalm 103:12-14 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

I wish I had some good, clever, or valid excuse as to why I haven't posted anything in the last two weeks, but all I can say is two words. Writer's block. You thought that was just for novelists or people who write all day every day? Yeah, well, it's not. ;P I've had it for a little while now, so bear with me. :)

I was reading these verses the other night, and thinking about them in a new way. As far as the east is from the west...how far exactly is that? Well, as my littlest brothers are very fond of saying: "It's infinity far!!" You can go east for ever and ever, without ever coming to a point where you are going west, and vice versa! That's a pretty long way. And that's how far He removed our sins from us when we came to Him through Christ for salvation! They can never be retrieved. We can never again be blamed for them because they are under the blood of Christ.

A lot of people have a completely twisted idea of God. They have this thinking that God is some kind of dictator sitting in heaven just waiting anxiously for us to mess up, so He can punish us for our sin. Nothing in this world could be farther from the truth! For those of us who are saved, we are the children of God. You are His child. If you are striving with all your heart to walk in His ways, living in the fear of The Lord, and trusting Him to guide you into the path of truth, God is not just waiting to blast you into a cinder!! He pities, supports, loves, and upholds you. He knows the weakness of your flesh, the struggles you face, the temptations that at times seem overwhelming...because he went through all of that too. Hebrews 2:18 says, "For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted." What an encouraging thing to realize--that God knows what we're going through!

Please note: With this being said, I am not in any way downplaying the justice or holiness of God. Yes, God loves and pities us, but He is also perfect in righteousness and does not take sin lightly. Neither should we. Just wanted to make that clear.

In all the many distractions swirling through our lives, please let's not lose sight of the fact that God wants to have sweet fellowship with us. Would you go entire weeks or months, (or even days!), without ever communicating in any way with your very best friend? Think about that. No texts, no calls, no sending them a fun pin or post you found. Nothing. For most of us, that sounds terrible, because we love our friends and family, and want to communicate and spend time with them! So why should it be ANY different with the One who saved us from spiritual death, promised us life eternal with Him, carries us safely through each day, showers us with constant, moment-by-moment blessings...the list goes on! How can we "not have time" for God?! Let's just step back a bit more, and walk with Him. Go to a quiet place alone, and sit down with your Bible and a notebook, and just be still. No phone, no distractions, just communication with The Lord. (Aren't you glad you can talk to Him instantaneously, no technology needed? ;) I guarantee you that no moment spent at The Saviour's feet will be wasted. Have a wonderful weekend! Love,
Mykaela

Be Not Weary...

2 Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

"May I never grow so weary with fighting this daily battle that my sword falls from my hand. May I never become like so many around me--complacent, content to dabble in the mud at the foot of the holy mount, instead of pressing step by step to the summit. May I instead be like a strong, thriving tree, pointing others to heaven. Like the moon, brilliantly reflecting the sun of my Saviour's righteousness. May I be a warrior, valiantly struggling against the enemies of the truth. May I be a lamb, meekly accepting instruction and enduring persecution and suffering, with the knowledge that I am ever in The Good Shepherd's hands. May I live passionately, fervently, in sweet communion with my King, not caring for the opinion of others. May I live so victoriously that those around me will glorify God because of my life. May I pour out my time, my energy, my talents, my desires, my very life at the feet of Christ, allowing Him to use them as He will. May my heart never be wandering or distracted, but instead fixed solely on performing the will of The One who redeemed me. May it never be said of me or any other true follower of Jesus, that I became weary in well doing."

~~Anonymous

Just wanted to share this with you all. I pray you each have a blessed day in The Lord's house tomorrow, and a great week to come! Let's start off the week in praise to God! :) 

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Feeling The Joys and Sorrows

Romans 12:15  Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

Ok, so I have posted about this verse before, and with a very similar topic line. (You can read that post here.)  I just thought it was important enough to reiterate. :) 

Empathy. An often misunderstood and misused word. A lot of people think that empathy and sympathy are one and the same, but just because they sound similar does not mean they are the same thing! That's like thinking that bricks and sticks are the same because they have some of the same letters. ;) Here is a story to illustrate the difference between the two. 

Once upon a time, a hedgehog was walking through the woods, feeling very down in the dumps. She was crying as she walked along, so much so that she missed the hole in front of her in the path! She tumbled in and landed with a plop. This of course made her day a whole lot brighter. Not. Along came a squirrel, carrying a new rope ladder for his tree house, and seeing her crying in the hole, looked sadly down upon her. "Ooh, that looks really dark and scary down there!", the squirrel said. "You must be super sad to be crying like that...I feel so bad for you! Want a sandwich, or a lollipop maybe? No? K, well, I'll be seeing you...Hope things clear up soon!" Shaking his head, the squirrel continued down the path. Soon, a chipmunk arrived on the scene, also carrying a new rope ladder. Instead of gazing sorrowfully into the gap, he let down the ladder, and descended to the floor of the hole. He sat down next the hedgehog. "It's dark and scary down here.", he said, his eyes filling with tears at her distress. "I can see that it's been a very hard day for you. The ladder is over there when you need it, but I'm going to stay with you until you're ready."

This is just a silly story, and probably not the clearest illustration either, but do you see the difference? Sympathy looks at the suffering of others with sadness. Empathy is having the suffering of others in your own heart! Feeling their pain, so to speak. Not just giving condolences or a clap on the back and walking off. 

This verse about rejoicing with those who rejoice, and weeping with those who weep, is one that is short but packs a punch. Do we do this as much as we should? I think a lot of times we are afraid of showing a lot of emotion (whether joy or sorrow), for fear of being thought overly sensitive or babyish. And while we do need to be careful not to let emotions rule us, I think there are way too many people who are not willing to empathize with others like the Bible commands. 

Empathy is not just feeling others' suffering, though...it's feeling their joy, too! What is wrong with laughing and rejoicing with someone who just got good news or had something wonderful happen? For goodness' sake, if you can't do that, you need to loosen up a little! Or a lot, actually! ;) There have been times that I have been super excited about something, and couldn't wait to tell someone I loved. And then when I told them, it was kind of...meh. They were glad for me, but it didn't really mean anything to them. Okay, I get it if my passion is not your thing. That's fine! Everyone is different, which is wonderful. However, if I am passionate about something, you could try to have the slightest bit of joy with me about it! ;) Maybe I am just getting on a soapbox here, but my point is that we need to quit being such fuddy-duddy stick in the muds that we can't empathize with those around us. As an old pastor friend of ours used to say:

"Y'all look like you've done been baptized in pickle juice!!"

Let's get rid of the pickle juice, ok? :) The next time someone needs you, don't just offer them a sandwich and move on. Get down in that dark place with them. Cry with them. Laugh with them. Pray that God will give you the words and ability to be a Christlike friend to that person. God will bless you for it! 

I hope you all have a good week! Is it snowy where you live? We have about 6 inches here, and it is gorgeous!!! :) I'm dreaming of a white Christmas... ;)

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: What Could Go Wrong?

Proverbs 3:5-7 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

I apologize for the very late post today--I had my wisdom teeth out on Friday (you can see the aftermath here ;), and have not felt up to doing much over the past couple days. 

These verses are very famous, at least verses 5 and 6 are, and they get talked about a lot. I think this is one of those passages (like John 3:16), that we tend to overlook or undervalue, because we have heard it so many times. Also, verse 7 is almost never included when these verses are quoted. :/

This past week, I faced a big decision, one that will change my everyday life quite a lot if it comes to pass. It was one of those things where I kept praying and praying about it, and eventually had to just step out in faith, do what I can, and pray that if it's God's will for it to happen, He'll line it up for me. 

So many times in life we agonize over choices. Whether it is a move, a job, a health decision, a sacrifice, etc., we tend to overthink things a LOT. Is that trusting in the Lord with all our hearts? Or is that leaning on our own understanding? 

Think about a choice that you are facing, big or small, and let me ask you this: If God wants a certain thing to happen in your life, can you mess it up? Yes, you can. If you are not walking in The Spirit, and are not trying to follow God and His Word, then He is not going to bless you, but rather chastise you, if you're His child. 

However, if you are following verse 7, fearing The Lord and departing from evil, you cannot mess things up!! Isn't that a really comforting thought? When you are walking in the footsteps of The Saviour day by day, you are not going to stop God's will from happening in your life! 

God knows what He is doing. As cliche as that might sound, it is so true. All you can do is pray that He will keep you walking close to Him, and He will lead in every pathway that comes up. Until then just rest in Him! Trust that He has a plan that's way better than anything you can lay out in your own feeble mind! :) 

I realize this post may be a bit disjointed, and again, I apologize...I hope I made at least a little bit of sense. Have a wonderful week, everyone!
Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Through The Word in 30 Days?!

Ezra 7:10 "For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments."

Psalm 119:16 "I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word."

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

So this month I have been reading through The Bible in 30 days. Today is Day 12, and I am actually ahead of schedule by a few chapters. It has definitely been a challenge and a blessing! I've never read it in shorter than a year before, so it feels kind of crazy. ;) Today I'd like to voice my thoughts on what I've learned from reading God's Word in so short a space of time. 

1. You get a really nice "big picture" or overview.
I was kind of expecting that reading through so quickly would make my comprehension go down quite a bit. Maybe it has in some ways, but at the same time, when you read about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the formation of the nation of Israel ALL in one day, it's really cool to then read about their journeys as a people the next day, and have all the recent history fresh in your mind, so to speak. It's been great to get a vision of the whole thread of God's narrative throughout the Bible, and all the symbolism pointing to Christ, from the very beginning. 

2. It takes dedication.
When I started this, I really did not want to begin it and then fizzle out three or four days in. I wanted to see it through all the way. Praise God I have been able to do so thus far, (and Lord willing I'll be able to finish it), but it has definitely taken a lot of time and dedication. If you want to do something like this, you have to be determined: it doesn't happen by accident. This being said...

3. It is so, so good to spend more time in God's Word.
It takes me around 2 hours a day, cumulatively, to finish the section. As a result, I have not had as much time to spend browsing Pinterest, reading other books, or wasting time in various other ways. And it has been really, really good for me! The self discipline of choosing what is more important, God's Word or my "fun time", has helped me to refocus my priorities instead of doing my own thing. 

4. God manifests Himself so clearly in EVERY book of The Bible. 
So many times we tend to skip over the long genealogies in Chronicles, or the preparations for the tabernacle, etc., but honestly...every word of God is pure! Throughout His Word, God manifests His glory and love for His people. The fact that God wanted them to live for Him and only Him, turning completely away from other gods and people groups that hated the true God; in everything He displays the great compassion and love He has for those who choose to serve Him faithfully. 

----------

I would highly recommend that you at least pray about going through The Bible in a shorter period of time soon. Even if it's 40 days, or two months, or whatever...it's really been eye opening to me, and I think you would be blessed by it as well! :) If you do decide to do it, let me know and we can keep each other accountable! I think accountability truly can help so much with things like this. And whether you decide to read the whole Bible through right away or not, do try to spend more time in The Word...time spent with God is never wasted! God bless you all this week!

Mykaela

Sunday Snippets: Facing Crossroads

Psalm 84:11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."


Have you ever faced a difficult decision where you could either hold on to the familiar in fear, or step out by faith into the unknown? It can be really scary territory, but it can also be really exciting. And if you are too afraid to step out and find what God wants you to do, you will be missing so much! 

So here are four ways that God can and will help you in these tough, and potentially life-changing decisions, taken from this verse. Ask and ye shall receive! 

1. "The Lord God is a sun..."

What does the sun primarily do? It gives light! God will show you what the next step will be. We all know the verse that says His Word is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path; well, why don't we apply it? All you have to do is act on what you know God wants you to do today...five years from now you will be exactly where He wants you to be if you are following Him day by day by day!

2. "...and shield"

Do you think God can protect those who are walking in His path? I do! So many times we look at the unknown, and draw back for fear of the dangers that may be lurking beyond that decision. But how many times has God let you down when you were doing His will? Never. It doesn't happen. If bad times come, He is still there to hold us up and keep us from being overcome. In the words of Psalm 91, "...He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:"

3. "The Lord will give grace..."

Wherever this path leads you, God will give you grace to walk it. Whether it turns out to go through a dark valley, or a beautiful meadow, He can grow you through it if you let Him! When you are trusting Him and walking by faith, He will make you stronger and more like His Son, Jesus Christ. 

4. "...and glory"

God will bring to pass great and mighty things when you trust His plan!! Such great things that you can't even begin to imagine everything He has in store! He will bring glory out of your decision to follow His Word, no matter how big or small the choice may be. God is glorified in the lives of His children who faithfully follow where He leads. 

This last part of the verse is the most beautiful of all, in my opinion. "No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." Did you catch that? NO GOOD THING! That means nothing!! God will not withhold His blessings when you are walking uprightly and without reproach. He will bless so much more abundantly than what you think is possible! God is not looking to thwart you. He is looking to give you the absolute best. So if your plans or dreams get in the way of that, He will replace them with something so much better. And yet many, many times we look at our life during that "replacement process", and moan and groan about how unfair it is that God is ruining our plans. What foolish people we are! God will not withhold any good thing from those who step out in faith, trusting Him to do what's best, and walk day by day uprightly and with a pure heart before Him. If you face a scary decision today, think carefully on this verse. If you ask Him, God will give you light, protection, grace, and glory. He will not withhold any good thing! 

Mykaela