fight.

i wrote this to myself for those moments when i feel like picking the world over Jesus. i know that my parents are probably the only people reading this blog-but if someone needs to know that there are people fighting on their side, if someone needs inspiration to keep going, if someone needs encouragement to pick Jesus- i have faith that they will find this. Jesus can and will use anything for His glory. im praying this is used to glorify Him in my own life and hopefully can be helpful to my brothers and sisters. because we were meant for more.

Madeline Randa Harper.

do not be a selfish idiot.

you were created for so much better. why are you settling for the world when you can have Jesus? you will never make it to the milestone if you can’t make it through this moment. so be strong. be a warrior. and fight it. say no. let Christ be your strength and your source of holy power. you have His Spirit in you. cling to it. FIGHT.

if you live in sin you will miss the life God has planned for you. stop acting like this world is your home. you are a daughter of the King. you are His. you were meant for something greater than settling. do not let anything tell you any differently.

think of Claren. what would she say?

“for every temptation, God has provided a way out. you are weak, but He is strong.”

think of Alana. what do you tell her?

“you are a new creation. the old has gone-the new has come.”

think of Amanda. think of every girl at Rudder.

you tell them that Jesus is worth more than their vices. do NOT be a hypocrite.

think of Jesus Christ. of you Heavenly Daddy.

He is holy. He is sanctifying you. trust Him. He is faithful.

do NOT break. beat this moment. for them. for you. but above all-for your Savior.

His grace has made you whiter than snow. His love covers your inadequacies. be still and know He is fighting for your heart. in this moment, He is telling you to choose Him.

so be who you are meant to be:

a daughter of the King.

strong

faithful

a warrior

accountable

obedient

do not settle. cling to Him.

you are more than this moment.

a

purpose

i had a beautiful revelation this morning:

being single is a gift that i dont want to take for granted.

i get to pour into and be poured into by one Groom

i have no stress of finding "the one" because He is better than any one here

i trust that He will take care of me and sustain me, giving me exactly what i need when i need it.

right now i dont need any significant guy besides my God, my daddy, and my brother.

someone once told me that you meet the people you love the most when you are doing what you most love. so on the days when i give Jesus my all, on the days when i am worshiping, on the days when i am living most like Christ-i know thats a day when ill meet those people who will impact my life the most. so ill focus on those and leave the daydreaming of mr. right to the chickflicks.

boyfriends are so overrated anyways. i just want Jesus.

the battle of Truth

i wrote this on the way home the other night. i've been thinking about reading it at a Young Life club. i'm not sure yet, it still needs a lot of prayer and work. but i was convicted of us not fighting hard enough for these kids lives. this is a war. are we doing our part? am i brave enough to risk it all for Him? my God is worth the courage.

The Battle of Truth:

here we are suited up in our toughest armor

going to battle for the sake of the souls

where the world sees smiles

we see God shaped holes

so what do we do?

we shout of a love sent straight for the whore,

for the liar for the cheater and the thief,

for the hypocrite and even the good girl.

i’m sick of satan speaking lies through media

telling the youth they’ll never be enough

you aren’t pretty enough, aren’t skinny enough

you aren’t funny enough, brave enough,

strong enough smart enough.

enough of the lies.

i’m tired of girls thinking sex is the only way to gain true respect

and i’m tired of boys hearing trophies are the only way to lasting glory

there sits satan on the sidelines,

telling you the answer is more,

always more. more likes, more views, more lust,

more gossip and hatred and anger

and so goes on the endless abuse.

we use our friends as mirrors and our apathy as disguises.

you get your views from the world even though its selling your soul

for the price of fake happiness is destructively high.

the love of your Savior gets ridiculously reduced

to a nice quiet guy telling relative truth.

so you want the truth?

my God is king.

and He wont sit by quietly watching while His children are destroyed.

oh no. this is battle.

He sent the great warrior to make you His bride,

not mindless helpless cattle led astray by this world.

so walk down the aisle

say yes to a love that puts sin to death so our actions could rest

and our broken hears can smile.

just walk down that aisle.

we were hopeless and yet He walked in to this mess.

He conquered the enemy and restored our vitality. in Him.

so the battle has a victor. He’s just collecting His prize

to take up the armor with Him at their side

and to finally become the beloved bride.

the price is amazing, you can get this for free,

if you just place your trust in the One

who paid it for you at Calvary.

living on the bright side

it's time to rid my life of negativity and fill it with positive thinking, uplifting people, and encouragement.

away with any comparison that isn't me to Christ.

out with doubts and crippling insecurities.

i will walk with confidence and strength.

let grace flow in and hope soar out.

the dreamer lifestyle will never be so in style.

giving will never cease.

beauty will be a way of life.

compassion will propel me and joy will be the song of my heart.

there will be no fear of making mistakes, but a glorious freedom.

the world will not define the free spirits.

creativity will be embraced as well as laughter and spontaneity.

and i will always find myself in Him.

while im waiting

Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. James 5:7-8

so encouraged by these verses this morning. He will bring the rain, He will bring the harvest. He will uplift and sustain me. I will be with Him soon, so I can give Him my all now, so that when I meet Him on that Glorious Day, I will have nothing left. I will tell Him that I gave every last ounce of strength, of time, of money and effort until I had nothing more to give. I will tell Him that as i waited, I ran until my knees gave and then i picked back up and kept on running. as i waited, i praised until my voice gave out and then i kept on singing. I surrendered all i had, knowing it wasn't mine to begin with. i trusted Him with everything and kept nothing as my own, for i am nothing without Him. as i waited, i planted the seeds, i watched for rain, i sowed the crops until the last second He called me home.

and He was worth every thing.

restore.

she panted for water. the lack of moisture her body took it's slow toll on the girl, taking away her vitality first, then her energy, and then her hope for replenishing. she had no friend to offer her water, no person by her side to give her a respite. all had left. all were giving their water to others, too preoccupied to hear her pleas. desperate, she searched from place to place, looking for liquid to break the drought. all other drinks were refreshing for an instant and then, from sips to gulps, left her even more thirsty. her body too tired to cary on and her throat too desiccated to cry out, the shadow of a girl slowed to a crawl. her despair overtook her, dry sobs wracked her body. through the exhaustion, she lifted her head up one last time, past the point of worrying who came, just wanting some relief. she strained her eyes, desperate to believe there was still someone who could help, who could revive her.

she remembered a day when she had her fill of water. she could remember what it felt like to drink, to have her full, and to have that source carry her through the day. she longed for that feeling again, she lifted silent pleas-begging for someone to break through the haze with relief, and managed one word, "please." in that moment, she saw a figure. for the first time since the drought, she had hope it could break. the figure walked to her, with assurance and ease, as though he was already waiting, already planning on being there. her chapped lips tried to form words, but none could make it past her dry throat. she was too weak to speak, yet she managed to lift her arms. she pushed herself clumsily to her feet, stumbled, and then began to run towards the figure. a run could not get her there fast enough, the ghost of a girl sprinted towards the man with the last of her energy.

with nothing left in her, she collapsed blindly into his arms. the embrace was comforting, familiar and steady. she was lifted off her feet and carried to a place of rest. he reached to his side and pulled up a cup of water, pouring it into the drained girl's mouth. her eyes sprang open, her heart beat a little less faint. the girls thoughts started to arrange themselves and she drank deeply. she could not remember a time when water was so sweet. her body was replenished, and all she could do was weep with joy and gratitude. she looked at the man who had carried her from the desert. "how did you know i was there? why did you save me? who sent you?" the questions sprang from her ceaselessly.

smiling, he took her hand. "i was always there, my beloved. all you had to do was look to me. i will never leave, i always have more. all you need to do is ask." with that, her heart was full. the joy welled up inside her and her laughter could not be contained. she thanked him with everything she had, and felt something hit her hand. she looked down in surprise, then turned her eyes towards the heavens. raindrop after raindrop came tumbling down to the earth, bringing life and restoration to the desert. the girl got to her feet, pulled the man up with her, and danced her heart's smile with him in the pouring rain. and she was not left wanting.

John 4:1-14

Matthew 7:8

Psalm 30:11-12

faithful

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, His body, and since we have a Great Priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure Water. Let us hold unswervingly to the Hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised, For,

"In just a little while,

He who is coming will come and will not delay"

And

"But my righteous ones will live by faith.

And I take no pleasure in the ones who shrinks back."

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.

Hebrews 10: 19-23, 35-39

unswerving hope. confidence. faith. patience to wait for His completion of promises.

this went straight past all the walls i have built up and right to my heart. He knows. He understands that i want answers, that i want action. my Lord sees my whole heart, He sees the desires there. He knows how much i miss people, how hard it is to sacrifice, He is aware that i am impatient and lack confidence at times. and He understands how much i needed this today.

i don't always understand why i was supposed let go of someone i miss daily, but He is faithful. i don't know why doctors keep on giving frustrating dead ends, but He is faithful. i have no clue what i'm doing with the rest of my life, but He is faithful. i don't understand what my purpose is at rudder some days,where i fit in that ministry, who im called to love and why i dont seem to have it right, but my Savior is faithful. my full assurance is in my God, my confidence is in Him. He will be faithful.

so i wont shrink back. i wont be watered down and walked over. i wont be talked down and have my passion calmed. i wont stop taking risks and walking out on that ledge. because i trust His grace to cover me, His greatness to pull through, and His love to carry me.

my God is faithful, He will come through in ways greater than i can imagine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzJH4YeqfuQ