Country Strong (:

Okay the title doesn't go with the post, I was just listening to the song (;


GREAT. 


I heard a sermon by Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill's Balard Campus last year in April (I think?) with my mom and brother. 
I found it very applicable to my life, and often do a "Great check" to see if I'm on track! I hope you find it helpful (:


G.R.E.A.T.


Glorify God alone.
     -This one is a toughy. Most of the time, I think well sure! of course I glorify God.... ALONE.. ? OH. Think about things you may glorify (knowingly or not) in your day:
Drinking, sex, ungodly relationships, fighting, certain music, etc.. 
maybe look at recent FB posts and see really whom/what you praise?


Reject unhealthy comparisons to others.
     -Okay, maybe this one is tough too. Especially for girls. Have you ever actually let yourself realize how often you compare yourself to others? Compare your skin, hair, SIZE?, clothes, talents, cars, boyfriends, job,  I do it alllllll the time. If you take a minute to notice.. it doesn't get you anywhere but jealousy, and disappointment. So why do it? Once I mastered the "R" of Great, I was much happier. When I look at other girls senior pictures and wish mine were that pretty, or wish I had hair like that... why? Honestly, why do it? It just sucks. So if you reject it, just move on! You feel much better! You can't control the way you are so stop comparing!
God made you the way you are, EXACTLY the way you are, because that's how He wants you to be! So why try to change yourself when you already have 100% approval from the only opinion that matters? 


Enjoy humbly serving outcasts.
     -This is pretty self-explanatory. BUT! take notice at the word "HUMBLY" the magic word that means... Stop complaining! (: 
Reach out to others, and enjoy it! Give generously! Really... what reason do you have NOT TO? You can't take it with you when you go, so why not give to those in need? (:


Accept your life and do your best.
     -You know that fashion show where the contestants are given material and they have to create a certain piece of clothing? That's kind of how it is with life: here's what you got, now hop to it! This is how it is and how its going to be, so work with it! Do you have a bad relationship with a family member? That's just how it is, now roll with it! Accept it, and do your best, get going!


Take opportunities to redeem ambitions.
     -I like this one. A lot of times, once we get ourselves in something too deep, we think we're stuck, but really we have the power to turn it around at any time! Example: When Mark Zuckerberg was creating facebook, he was ambitious, and had a dream to create this social network.. his ambition eventually became corrupt and was ruining relationships and he went down a crazy path. At ANY moment, literally any minute, he could have chosen to just stop, turn around, and use his means for good! PETER/SPIDERMAN! When he put on the black suit, his ambitions became corrupt and evil, but he took an opportunity to redeem his original ambitions to help people and he changed his ways! (;
We constantly need to renew our ambitions and make sure our desires are on track with what God wants us to do!


Do I follow this every day? No. Its HARD, but Lord knows I'm gonna try (:

:D

Hmm. I am beyond fortunate. Beyond blessed. Not just because I get to be in another country, living with a loving family, but because I get to know the love of Jesus.

Which is what makes everything else possible.

 My best friend Karina just told me that I'm so religious, (in a posotive connotation of course) and I said "nope, just madly in love."

Honestly, I'm just in love. When you love someone, you want to be around them, you want to talk to them, you want to know everything about them. Therefore, I pray, I read my bible, I talk about Him. And in doing so, I learn so much about myself, about who He wants me to be, and about how I can please Him. 

A lot of people buy and read Self-Improvement books. There's a section for it on iTunes digital books. Self-improvement and reflection is a part of life, if we want to be successful, its helpful to read and try to change things about ourselves in order to have more friends, get along better with family members, fix a marriage, be more successful in business. So, we take time to reflect on who we are currently, we read books, we go to counseling, talk with friends, and attempt to start shifting things inside us. 

Here's an idea:

Don't buy a bunch of books: buy one.

 THE BIBLE

Self improvement is kind of just a side effect of falling in love with Jesus. 

Its kind of like a geometry proof, remember that horrible semester? (; 

 A. Because I love Jesus, I want to please him.

B. By focusing on loving Jesus, the person I become as a result of wanting to please him is exactly who I want to be. 

C. When I love Jesus, I am happy, kind, forgiving, accepting, generous, happy, and passionate. 

D. People like happy people. 

Therefore, if A=B, and B=C, and A=D... I'm sorry Mrs. Baird, I don't remember how to do proofs! All I know is that because of Jesus, I am someone people want to like! I have good relationships with friends, family, and everyone else. I have no enemies, but when I do, I love them!

One time a friend was skeptical of Christianity because she felt like you had to be happy FIRST, and then try being a Christian. She told me, "I feel like its so easy for you to be a Christian because you don't have anything bad in your life" and I told her, "Yes, I am very blessed, however.. EVERYONE has crap in their life. I have massive problems sometimes, but I'm still happy because its SO much easier to cope with problems when you trust in the Lord."

Ever wish you could just hand off your issues to someone else? You can. Hand them to God. He'll take 'em in a heart beat. When you know the Lord like He wants you to know Him, He's tangible. You can sit in your bedroom and talk to Him like a friend, because He is! He's my best friend, my brother, my boyfriend, my Father. He's everything! And I'm so glad He has promised me He'll stay forever.. cause Lord knows I need Him! haha!

You know how people always promise you things..? 

well I think as humans, we generally have learned to accept that as like a... I.O.U. with an expiration date. 

No, your boyfriend in high school won't ACTUALLY love you forever, no he won't ACTUALLY call you when he says he will. 

Promise is just a fancy word to reassure someone for the time being.

Look back on your life, was there ever a "promise" that someone REALLY, TRULY kept? 

It's a shame that we ruined the word "promise" cause it doesn't hold much weight anymore. 

GOOD NEWS!

when Jesus made a promise to love us forever, to protect us, to forgive us, to stand between His father and us on Judgement day.. oh wait, PROMISE, that means like.. legitimately, HE WILL. He doesn't mean just for a little while, or when He feels like it. He is unwaivering, everlasting, consistant! I can't type fast enough to explain it! AH!

You know how everything is better with Nutella? okay but not EVERYTHING.. cause you wouldn't eat Nutella on dirt?

but no... EVERYTHING is better with Jesus! Even depression is MUCH BETTER! haha, because you don't fall as deep when you know that God loves you and He'll pull you out! 

LIGHT!

you can't pour darkness into light.. you can close all the windows and make it pitch black but light always seeps in somewhere! You can't trap light. You can't contain the joy in my heart! Since I don't have enough room for it in my heart, I'll give you some! (;

I have so much love in my heart that I just have to give it away, because I don't have room for it all, that's what God intended for us to do! He gives us SOOO much love that we can't HELP but share it with everyone else!

and anything I know about Jesus, came from reading his blog (the bible), and from talking to him one-on-one. 

Relationships really aren't all that hard when the other end is giving 120% and all you have to do is give at least 2%. And finally! You found someone to love you that will keep promises and will stick around forever. Promise (: