Not made for fire

Imagine a huge rock, which represents our foundation-that is, our relationship with Jesus Christ. Rocks come in all different sizes. Some are stronger than others, some are smoother, some are larger. Imagine how the rock becomes when it is near fire for a long time, tarnished and discolored. When the rock is tossed and thrown upon sharp objects it chips and scratches. But when the rock is in a flowing stream of water it becomes soft, smooth; and the longer the rock is in the water, the softer and smoother it becomes. Notice that the atmosphere of a river is peaceful and refreshing, especially compared to the blazing fire or being tossed and beaten.


It's easy to surround ourselves with fire. The fire feels warm, inviting...but we don't stand by the fire expecting to get burned. And then it happens, and we realize that as Christians, the things of the world an only satisfy us to leave us empty again. 


So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18


But the river, representing the constant flow of Christ's love and mercy..the stream is continuous..never stops refining who we are, polishing our rock of a foundation..cleansing us from tarnish of fire and the scrapes imprinted on us by things of the world. 


I know my foundation belongs in the river..I know that I am different than other rocks..I know that I was not made for fire


There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. -Psalm 46:4. ...oooh now that sounds like a nice river to be in.




"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" -John 7:38


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Hebrews 11:25 - He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God, rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

"Live in the moment, dear"

Have you ever had a morning where one thing after the other just keeps going wrong?..Do you still smile and keep your chin up when your expensive camera breaks or a friend accidentally erases your 8-page statistics project that is due the next day? When you stub your toe or get a flat tire or miss your alarm and show up late to an important meeting, do you still take a deep breath and feel peaceful inside?

After a heart-felt conversation, one of my really good friends told me to "live in the moment, dear!" Ever since, I've used that quote a thousand times...ya see, for me, the moment isn't just that split second that I realize my camera is gone. The moment is made up of my attitude (how I perceive my circumstances and the things I'm experiencing), and my relationships (who is impacting my life at the moment, and who will always be special to me). When I see a beach, any beach, I instantly want run and jump like a little girl because I'm so excited to have life and good experiences..When I see the rain, I just want to go dance in it because everything has it's own beautiful way of reminding me to live in the moment.

When anything happens, anything at all..I am able to say that, "In this moment, the Lord is looking on me with love." We may not always have the best luck. We might not think our circumstances can allow us to be happy...but I think it is more so our desire that makes us "not as happy" as God wants us to be. I believe that false happiness or unhappiness is from our minds.. our minds and our emotions tell us that someone else has it better, or that bad things keep happening and they mess everything up, or that the way we look isn't good enough, or that we'll never have the friends or family that other people have, or we shouldn't have to go through certain thing. I am very very very blessed, not lucky, blessed to have the most amazing family and friends and so many cool passions and opportunities, and to have never really experienced death..but I've experienced hardships, and I've experienced great loss...and I remember thinking in a few situations that my whole world is falling apart, things that to this day still bring up painful memories..but even more than the hard memories, I remember how I still smiled, and I laughed, and I prayed, and I cried, and how the Lord was so faithful to remind me of His wonderful plan so that I could hold onto His joy. And I also remember how many people were touched by my ability to truthfully know comfort and happiness when I was hurting. What a testimony it is when other people realize how honestly happy I am <3

I don't think that God just made me a happy person from birth..I think that I can give an honest smile when bad things happen, or stay calm and enjoy the sun or help other people when I'm dealing with my own troubles..I think that I do those things because I know the Father of happiness. I know a God who makes me melt in his presence...who can bring me to tears for no reason in a split second...who can remind me that my life on earth is temporary and that my real treasure lies in Heaven...I know the God who breathes life into me every morning when I first open my eyes...who gives me peaceful visions, and words of wisdom that I cannot fathom on my own...I know the Father of happiness, and no matter what stage of life I am in, what country I live in, what job, what situation, what hardships or hurts,

i will always be incredibly happy. . .

"but whoever drinks the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life." -John 4:14

Not defined by feelings

Going through life we feel lots of things. Tingles, nervousness, butterflies, hope, all the things in between happy and sad that don't really have words in the english language. Someone told me other day, "I just don't think you need to go to church to get that feeling." ..What feeling does he mean, I wonder? The feeling of security? The feeling of clearing a guilty conscience? A good feeling I suppose..But since when is going to church meant for producing a certain feeling? Yes, I often feel things at church..but it isn't self-sufficiency, or whatever he meant he can feel without going to church. Maybe it's fullness...but I usually feel unsettled at church, because I am convicted by the Holy Spirit or hear a word from God that shakes me up inside...yes, itsamazinggggg, but not always a good feeling. In fact, I feel closest to the Lord when I cry. Cry, hmm I do it all the time..for me it's like a point of humility...a point of, "
Lord, here in your presence I am vulnerable and weak," a lack of self-sufficiency..an obvious need for a God much bigger than myself."

2 Corinthians 2:9a - "But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in weakness."

I just don't think he means he can feel weak without going to church..

Yes, Jesus makes us feel things, but satan makes us feel things as well..sometimes we feel things that are harmful to us. Do you remember being 15 when your range of emotions would go from A to Z all in one day?? Do you remember feeling and unfulfilled longing?, an eagerness for something you didn't have?, a passion that was fleeting and left you insecure? We feel something when we see something in a store that we really want. We feel something when we see commercials of needy kids or abused animals. We feel something when we look in the mirror and don't like what we see. We feel something when we get flowers and a cute note from someone special. We feel something when we see our family for the first time after a long trip (although that might be the closest to any supposed church feeling for me). Fun fact: The part of our brain that controls our emotions doesn't fully develop until age 25.

My point is this - feelings are uncertain. You can't always help what you feel.

But certainty is this: Jesus died on the cross for you and me, so that we could experience a life so full, so purposeful, so everlasting. How can you boil that down to a feeling? haha, praise God my eternity isn't based on how I feel at the moment...praise God that He will still speak to me when I don't feel like spending time with Him...praise God that I am able to feel things, but that my feelings don't change my identity in Jesus Christ.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lord, thank you that I can feel You..at home, at church, walking down the street, wherever, whenever. And thank you that my spiritually is not defined by feelings. By the way, I'm in love with you <3

-Laura

I felt a calling on my life that I still feel today.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. - Romans 8:28

How reassuring is it to hear this promise? My late journeys at work or home or with friends have lead to many conversations about religion, Christianity, and personal values. I really enjoy being able to explain the difference from Christianity and every other religion in the world. I like being able to discuss "good deeds," which is what most non-religious people first think about in the topic. I tell my friends/acquaintances that Muslims, Buddhist, etc do good things because their religions says you work your way to heaven. Christians serve people, speak kindly, and abstain from premarital sex because our relationship with God makes us want to do those things. Don't misinterpret what I'm saying, I know plenty of people of other religious who are genuinely friendly people and have similar practices. Here's what it boils down to for me: I know that I am not gonna get to judgment day and stand before a scale while Jesus weighs all the good things and bad things I've done over the course of my life...How scary would that be? No, eternity is not a guessing game for me. When the end of my life on earth comes, I will give Jesus a giant bear hug and He'll say, "Welcome home, love!!"

Just to let you know, I don't believe this because I read it somewhere. I don't believe this because at Sunday school my teacher said get saved and you'll go to heaven. I actually used to pray as a kid over and over and over that I would be saved because I was scared that for some reason my prayer didn't go through, or something would happen and Jesus would take back my salvation...

My sophomore year of high school, I felt the Holy Spirit move through me. That's not something I could have read or been taught. When my heart was humble, Jesus decided to give me a glimpse of the many years to come in this unbelievable, thrilling, exciting, joyful journey with Him. I was singing, leading worship in front of 3,000 of my peers..and I fell to my knees, sang my heart out to the Living God, then moved off stage to lay on my face in His presence. I stayed there for 3 hours, even after the conference had finished and everyone had cleared out. I felt a calling on my life, then, that I still feel today. At that time, I learned the meaning of surrender. The Holy Spirit called me into a life of humility, a life where I sacrifice anything that has the potential to hinder my relationship with Him.

And boy has it been an awesome ride! How am I so certain of my faith and my eternity?? God takes the chance to let me know very frequently. <3

I have prayed for someone and the Lord healed her..on the spot!!

I have visions and specific words from God to prophesy (speak truth) to people, and have seen how He uses them to build up His beloved followers.

I have spoken in a language that is foreign to my tongue and lost all control of my movements.

I could speak for ages about the Spiritual encounters I've had, because they still amaze me. But I didn't even know those things were real! How could I not be 100% certain of my faith after all the times my prayers have been answered..after all the times I've spoken my requests to God and He's provided...after all the times I've been approached by a Christian brother or sister and heard words of truth on specific things in my life that I had been praying about, things there's no way someone could just know that I needed to hear.

I'll tell the whole world that life with the Lord is the best life, and I'll tell you that persecution feels good. I'm experiencing it more and more, which means I must be doing something right (praise God for that!).

If you are reading this, please pray for my mission this last month in Australia. God's purpose is greater than anything I can see, and hearts have already been softened. I'm praying for you today.

Redefining My Identity

How many times, Lord, am I gonna stumble? Yes, forgive my brother 70 times 7..but what about me?..Does 70 times 7 even account for all my sins? Spiritually, I've grown a lot in the past year. I am sooo thankful for enlightenment, victory, visions, experiences, blessings and opportunities. My life with you is amazing, God..it is rich and complete. I do forget, though, that there is an enemy working against me..that the people who do not know you, Lord, don't know the joy they could have. I need a redefined identity. No, I'm not just the Christian girl. I'm the Christian girl who lives differently, and has a joy that cannot be hidden. How easy would it be to minister, God, if I was embracing that joy and fullness every moment of everyday..if my mind was constantly set on the redemption of ALL Your children, regardless of race, attitude, religious beliefs..if I started everyday with a "Thank you, JESUS, You are my good!"..how many of the people I mourn for would realize what they're missing??

Who am i? Yeah, I know who I am..cause, Lord, I know who You are. ! Since I know who I am because I know who You are, please redeem my actions, my thoughts, my desires, my priorities..<3

I said to the LORD, "You are my LORD; I have no good besides You." -Psalm 16:2

btw, I kinda enjoy persecution. means i'm doing something right :)

I will.

I just love talking about my faith. I don't have all the answers..In fact, I don't have most of them. But that's the mystery of it all..How awesome is it that we don't hold the responsibility of having all the knowledge and wisdom in the universe? I know that Heaven is waiting for me!! And I know that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord!!!..And when I think on the love God has for me, I'm in a special place and nothing can touch me.

I've been meeting some ammazzzing people in Melbourne! I work for a charity, and my job is literally to talk to people all day. Some people I mourn for, like the lady who told me the only good we can do in the world is let the kids overseas die and make the government preach contraceptives because our world is overpopulated..and the people I spend everyday with who just can't understand why I live the way I do..And the 40-year-old plastic surgeon who wanted to "take me out,"

and not at work, but the fifteen year-old girls I saw at a tram stop last night, swearing at an innocent man, calling him a pedophile, and SPITTING on him..when they walked to the side, I went to talk to the man, absolutely disgusted at the way they were treating him. I introduced myself, and he told me his name is Greg. He was clearly unaffected by the girls' rudeness, which was great..but when I shook his hand the girls said, "Don't talk to him, he's a pedophile!" I responded in a quiet and mature voice, "girls, that's unnecessary." The leader of the pack then said, "You want to get raped tonight? Omg she's such a slut! You'e a slut, girl" I responded in a positive tone, "Actually, I'm a virgin," and smiled. The clearly disturbed girl said, "OMG YOU'RE A VIRGIN?! I already got pregnant when I was 12, and now I'm fifteen." The other girls were cackling and carrying on in disbelief when one of them said, "Maybe she's saving it till marriage like real love or something like that." And when her peers looked at her, she quickly rebuked the comment saying, "I don't know I saw it on a movie once haha." Providing comedic relief, Analu leans in to me and says "I guess I shouldn't tell them I'm a virgin too, haha!" (Analu and Broz had come with me to talk to Greg, noting that the girls were..ridiculous to say the least)

..sad :/ . I wonder if they'll ever know something good in life??

but some people, tons of people, have inspired me so greatly over the past two weeks of working...

Like the preacher I met, Jess, who has committed her life to serving people all over the world.

And the ex drug-addict Chris, who found freedom five years ago because a random man on the streets witnessed to him, and is now living a completely humble life, praying and being patient with his lost daughter..When I first met Chris, I asked him, "So what do you do, Chris?" and he answered, "I'm a stone mason." "Oh, and I'm a Christian!" We spoke for an hour after that in the middle of the mall and among non-believers, both presenting prayer requests and sharing scriptures and testimonies of God's faithfulness in our own lives.

And the lady who was a real "Patch Adams" for a few years.

And the man I met who I got to encourage spiritually because he had been faltering in his faith until he had a stroke a few days before.

And the lady I committed to praying for who was diagnosed with three illnesses 7 years ago, that won't allow her to do much of anything other than sit at home..she has now invested in several hobbies like gardening, crocheting, and knitting, and has a positive outlook on life although she cannot get out much.

And the wonderful biker couple I met who found me on facebook and thanked me for my friendliness, inviting me to come ride with them and their two kids in the Australian country...even the simple "God is good" at the end of the message was heart-warming.

The list goes on, and I've truly been touched..knowing that God has a purpose for each one of their lives. I'm extremely thankful that I was able to meet them, and I'm excited for upcoming opportunities to continue being a blessing to people. Meaningful conversations, one step of selfless faith to say "I'm a Christian," we can make a difference. And I. . .

I will.

If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.. - Philippians 1:22a

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-Philippians 2:10-11

I try to be so tough

listening to Josh Wilson's Savior Please

I try to be so tough

but I'm just not strong enough

I can't do this alone, God I need you to hold onto me

I try to be good enough

But I'm nothing without Your love

Savior, please keep saving me

this song..wow

I really do try to be tough, and I'm honestly not strong enough..

I try to endure, but I have to realize that I just can't do it alone..I can't.

I do not cope well with failure, in fact, I despise failure.I despise rejection; and I don't think I'm alone in either of those. It's good because it sparks my determination, but there is a point where I think we just try too hard.

Maybe the Lord is just like,

"Daughter..I got you. . just slow down and take a deep breath, I'm taking care of you! Don't you remember that I have your life mapped out? Don't you know that I drew out your blueprint before you knew life exists? No, I don't expect you to remember everything you learn..that's part of my design. I want you to be able to enjoy things more than once. I don't expect you to always know what to say to someone who is hurting..if you did, when would you ask Me?? I don't expect every person to think you're an absolute gem, although you are..because I created you exactly how I want you :) Oh, and all those times you've said "foot in mouth, Laura" to yourself..haha that's okay. You're learning :) Did I mention that I love you? Cause sometimes you forget that too ;) No worries, I'll remind you..You hurt someone's feelings by accident? Yeah, good thing I'm meant to be the perfect one, and not you. Gave up on your diet? Failed that assignment? Haven't progressed with your music? Forgot that scripture verse when you needed it? Lost the presents you just bought your sisters and now you feel like you seem you've only been thinking about yourself? Well, darling..you do think about yourself a lot...it's good that I'm here to keep you grounded..it's a good that I'm allowing you to experience life, it's awesome that I'm allowing you to experience Me. You disappoint yourself more than you disappoint Me, but don't worry sweetheart, I've chosen you. We're in this journey together, you and Me forever..I promise."

"I try to be good enough, but I'm nothing without Your love. Savior, please keep saving me."

He has shown you, o man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? But to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8