He is Greater

I recently had the opportunity to travel to Honduras on a mission trip with Lifeline Christian Mission. This was my first international missions trip in what I hope will be a long line. Experiencing a different culture and different people really broadens one's perspective on life. We all know that there are millions of other people on this world and that they live differently than us, some more differently than others. I know that not all the world looks like the fields upon fields of corn and beans we have here in Ohio.  I think we know these things, but we don't understand them or realize them. Until we see them. I also saw how similar people are, no matter where they live or what culture they are in. Children run and play and laugh and smile no matter where you are. Adults work and talk and take delight in their children no matter where you are. Teenagers goof off and chat and do stupid things together no matter where you are.
But there is also heartache and pain no matter where you are. There are lonely people, people who feel like they are alone in this world. There are children who don't have loving hands to guide them no matter where you are. There are people who despair of life, who don't think they can get ahead. There are selfish people, evil people, and angry people. Everywhere.
Take hope! Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world! (1John 4:4) Satan is at work in this world, in Honduras, in America, in China, everywhere! He has been working since the beginning of the creation of people. But take hope! Jesus is greater than him! It doesn't matter where you are. Satan's demons are working, clawing away at the hope that is available for everyone. But you don't have to be afraid of he who is in the world. You don't have to lose hope that good will prevail. You don't have to doubt that he will be defeated. Because He who is in me, who is in you, is greater than he who is in the world. He is greater!
No matter where you go in this world, you will find Jesus. He is everywhere. You just have to look for Him. Because it may not be easy to see Him. Sometimes evil seems so prevalent that we can't believe that God is there. Sometimes we are feeling so overwhelmed that we can't see Him, but that doesn't change reality. He is there. No matter where 'there' is. He is there. And He is greater.
~Michaela

James 5:16

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
  
That is James 5:16.  There are a lot of ignored verses of the Bible, but I think this ranks pretty high up on "Most Avoided Verses of the Bible".  Christians everywhere ask, "Isn't it enough to ask forgiveness from God? Can't I just pray on my own? All the other Christians would hate me if they knew what I have done!!"  I personally struggle with this, and always have.  I do not like asking for prayer at all.  I hate to think I might be revealing weakness to someone else, and they'll think badly of me for it.  I've always been concerned about upholding the delusion that I am a strong person, physically and emotionally.  So, I do not show what I perceive to be "weakness".  And for the longest time, I saw asking another human being for any kind of assistance, particularly prayer, as incredibly weak.  And telling them why I needed prayer, why! impossible!!

Recently, God has been showing me that prayer is important to Him.  And to see His children help each other by praying for one another is priceless.  But He doesn't want a generalized prayer.  He wants the specifics.  The person praying for you needs to know what you are struggling with so they are able to specifically pray for your needs.  God can work without you praying or anyone else praying, but He prefers to be asked to work first.  

Prayer takes concentration, effort, and persistence.  When you are in the middle of a hard place, and you feel far from God, and the attacks on you from the devil are wearing you down, you can't pray.  It exhausting, there's too much distracting you, and you need help.  You need someone who knows what you are struggling with and can pray for you.  Then, when they are struggling, you get to return the favor.  The last sentence of James 5:16 is "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."  When you are in despair, you need power and effectiveness.  And you can't do it alone.

Practical application:  Meet with someone you trust every once in a while, say... monthly.  Make sure this person is someone you trust and who trusts you.  You don't want to tell your heart to someone who will gossip about it.  Be sure you don't tell anyone what the other person told you either.  Pray for each other.  You will both benefit from it.  

You will be healed

~Michaela     

Light and Dark

Can you feel the darkness?  Do you ever feel as if the darkness was closing in?  Like if it got any closer, it would absorb you?  You feel like you are all alone, no one cares, you will never feel better.
God is not in the darkness.  When you are in the darkness, that thought isn't encouraging.  God is not in the darkness.  But what gets rid of darkness?  If you are walk into a dark room, what do you do?  You switch on a light, right?  And what happens to the darkness?  It immediately disappears.  Why?  Because the light came on.  Where did the darkness go?  I don't know, but that doesn't really matter.  All that matters is that it is gone.
When you are surrounded in the darkness, and Satan is shooting lies at you as fast as he can, what do you need to do?  Turn on the Light.  As cliche as that sounds, it's true.  As soon as you ignore the lies, and listen to the truth, you are loved, you are not alone, you don't have to be perfect, the darkness has to flee, because darkness and light can't be together.  And you turned on the light.

~Michaela

(Short but true)

Falling out of Love

Can you "fall out of love"?
This is something I've been thinking about for a while.  "Falling in love" is a very common phrase.  But after falling in love, can you fall out of it? Hmm...
I'm one of those Christians that believe the Bible can help you in every situation, and has the answer to every life question.  You just have to look hard enough.  So where's the answer to this one?
  
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says: "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.

Love never ends.  God can not lie.  And since the Bible is the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), everything in the Bible is true.  So when the always-existing, eternal God says "Love never ends," I take that as it never, ever, ever, ends.  So, according to the all-knowing, all-seeing, God who has no beginning or end, you can not fall out of love.
But you know what the Bible doesn't say?  It doesn't say "Like never ends."  Neither does it say "Attraction never ends."  Maybe, if you believe that you have fallen out of love, you never really fell into love.     
Guess what?  Jesus fell in love with you.  Actually, 1 John says "God is love."  So, Jesus fell in Himself with you.  And God/Love never end.
~Michaela   

Love, Forgiveness, and Boston

Proverbs 24:17 "Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles."
In many circumstances it's easy to read this verse and think, sure! I can do that.  But in the light of this past week or so, it isn't so easy anymore.  When you heard that one suspect in the bombing of the Boston marathon was dead and the other was caught, what did you do?  What were your thoughts?  Did you rejoice? Did you post on Facebook?  Did you tell as many people as possible?  According to God, rejoicing in their fall is wrong.  You see, the bombers were only people.  They have souls, feelings, and minds.  One will suffer the earthly consequences, but both will suffer the eternal consequences.  How can we rejoice when someone goes to spend eternity burning in Hell?  Eternity is a very long time.  And Hell is a horrendous place to spend any time in, not just eternity.
Please understand, however, that I do not favor a light earthly punishment.  I believe that justice needs to be served.  But I also believe that love needs to be shown.  Christians need to love everyone, regardless of who they are or what they have done.  No matter how hard it is.
Caution: this paragraph might hurt your feelings.  In God's eyes, your pride, your anger, your sin are exactly the same as another man's shooting little children or setting off a bomb.  There are no "big" sins and "small" sins.  They are all disobeying and dishonoring God.  But as soon as we ask God for forgiveness He forgets our sins.  And guess what?  If the suspect for the Boston bombing asks God for forgiveness, God will forgive him! Completely!  Does that make you mad?  Now, can you forgive the people who wrong you?  And even harder, can you forgive the people who hurt the ones you love?  And the hardest of all, can you ask for forgiveness?
~Michaela

LAFL

Ever heard the expression "yolo"?  You Only Live Once.  I prefer the lesser well-known acronym "lafl".  LAFL means Living A Full Life.  Okay, so, I just made that up, but it still counts!  LAFL is different than YOLO. 
Just recently I discovered the importance of living life to the fullest.  Living life to its fullest capacity means laughing at yourself, loving the people around you, building friendships, not caring what people think of you, giving all your time and money away, trusting God.  It means eating a second piece of cake and then killing it in a workout the next day.  It means giving hugs and listening to other's problems.  It means jumping into the lake with all your clothes on.  It means impromptu water fights in the backyard.  It means putting down the cellphone.  It means sleeping under the stars.  It means trusting God no matter what.  It means dancing until you drop.  It means serving.  It means singing and dancing even though you can't.  It means quiet time with God in the early morning hours.  It means curling up beside a fire with a book and hot cocoa in the winter.  It means snowball fights.  It means learning a new instrument.  The list goes on, and on, and on, and on.  And your list might be different than mine.
The best life is one lived with abandon.  Running straight ahead, not caring about what lies behind, and not worrying about what lies ahead.  The Christian life is meant to be lived with abandon.  You see, a Christian life isn't 'safe'.  If you are never uncomfortable, never afraid, and never mocked, you aren't living the true Christian life.  Christian are supposed to love when they are hated.  We are to serve instead of being served.  We are supposed to believe when it's not popular.  We are to be peaceful when the boat is rocking.  We are to shine in the darkness.  We are to be content with whatever we have.  We are to be joyful, not necessarily happy, when the circumstances look grim.  We are to pray for hours when "we don't have the time."  We are to give everything to God, not knowing if He will give any of it back.  We are supposed to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled.
LAFL and the Christian life take everything you've got.  It's pouring yourself out to others, every last bit of you.  Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."
Will you LAFL?
~Michaela       

Strangely Dim

But when I fix my eyes on all that You are
Then every doubt I feel
Deep in my heart
Grows strangely dim
All my worries fade
And fall to the ground
Cause when I seek Your face
And don't look around
Any place I'm in
Grows strangely dim

This is the chorus to Francesca Battistelli's latest song, "Strangely Dim."  These words ring true.  When we focus our eyes on Jesus, every doubt, every worry grows strangely dim.  It's nothing of our doing.  It's not something of the world.  When we try to fit in with the world, when we are living for the world's approval, it only adds to our anxiety and stress.  Every time we let the world grab us, draw us in, irritate us, and enthrall us, we drown in our doubts.

In sharp contrast, when we allow God to fill us, when we spend time with Him, when we seek His face, and don't look around at the world around us, everything but Him fades away.  Why?  Because He is better than anything you could ever imagine.  He is so amazing that whatever stupid little things you are worried about, He makes you realize just how trivial they are in light of eternity.
So. My advice to you: when you are stressed, spend some time with your Creator. He will make all things right.
~Michaela

Valentines Day!

Today is Valentines Day! A day of love, chocolate, cards, hearts, and pink. If you are married, you'll probably celebrate with cards and maybe a nice dinner out without the kids.  If you're not married but you have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, you will probably get all sappy and make everyone around you gag. But maybe you are one of the millions of single people this year.  All by your lonesome, no one to give chocolate to, no one to write a little poem for. Maybe you're one of the desperate singles who tried way too hard to get a date for Valentines. Or maybe you pretended like you didn't care about Valentines but you'll spend all day today crying because you think you have no one. No matter who you are, Valentines can still be a wonderful day!
Single? Don't stress about it! Your time will come! But you don't have to just skip Valentines this year! Use this day to show family that you care about them! Give a box of chocolate to your siblings. (They don't care how much you spent... It's candy!) Give your parents a card with a note in it telling them that you appreciate them. (That will make their week!) Call your grandparents and let them talk about their bingo friends and their neighbor's cat. Give your friends a hug and some candy. This isn't just a day for couples. Make it fun!
Single or not, you can do these things. But you could also bring this day to a whole new level. A level that once you get up there, is epic. A level that no one else around you will step up to. You can use this day to show your ultimate lover just how much you love him. You see, God wants to be your soul mate. Audio Adrenaline has a song titled "Soulmate."

There is a tremendous lover who would like to share
His wondrous love story with all those who would care
To listen to His still small voice He doesn't like to yell
and if you stop and take a chance I know you'll hear him tell

I...your soul's friend
I...your soul's love
I...your soul's hope
I wanna be your soulmate, your soulmate

He loves you and wants you to love Him. Spend a day talking with Him, letting Him know that you want Him to be your soul mate.

~Michaela

Why?

I know you've asked that question at least once before. Probably at least once today. You've asked it of other human beings. "Why would you do that?" "Why should I trust you?" "Why should I go to the store?" But you've probably asked it more of God.  "Why am I going through this?" "Why can't I feel You here?" Why? Why? Why? We cry in anguish, "Why?" We scream in anger, "Why?"
Why do we do this?  Because we, as humans, need answers and explanations for everything irrational in our lives. We want to see everything in the future. We think, "If I knew why this is happening, I could handle it better." We see things we don't understand, things we can't explain. We see pain, hunger, death, and loneliness in the world around us and we don't understand it. We see problems and we trust that God is able to fix it, but we don't see the results that we want right away. We doubt Him. We get angry and yell "Why?" We want answers that make sense to our finite minds.
Unfortunately for us, God does not act in ways that are humanely logical and reasonable. He uses things that appear to us to be illogical and unreasonable. But in the grand scheme of eternity, they are ingenious and perfect. His answers, His solutions are exactly what are needed for that person, in that circumstance, at that time. He is in control, and He knows what He is doing. He does not require you letting Him know that you don't understand, or that you don't approve. He doesn't need to waste His time explaining to you what He is doing. You simply need to follow His plan and do His will, and He will care for you. You will not want. He will care for you. Simply do as you are told, trusting that no matter the seeming absurdity of His instructions, it will work out for the good of those who love Him.
So next time you are going through a trial in your life that you don't understand, remember that God knows you. He is watching out for you. And He will not leave you. He will never forsake you. Remember. Always remember.
~Michaela

Kylee Taylor's World Race

Please take the time to read this blog post! It really is a message from God to you. Let it sink into you, and think about it. Please. Click the link below.
http://kyleetaylor.theworldrace.org/?filename=daddy-its-simple
~Michaela

New Year

New Years. The time of the year when everyone decides to be better. For the first two weeks, maybe month if you're good, you work out, eat healthy, study, read, spend less time on the internet, whatever. In short, you make a resolution to be something. Maybe that resolution is to be skinnier, healthier, smarter, kinder, better. No matter what, you are determined that this New Years will be different. You will succeed. You won't quit. But deep down inside, you know you will quit. Your fire will die. Your ambition with be eaten away by laziness and desire. You know it will happen. There isn't anything you can do about it.
I'm not going to write a blog post encouraging you to keep going, to never give up. I'm not going to give you tips on how to stay focused, or how to get rich and popular in a week. I won't tell you that you can do it if you believe in yourself. Because you know what? You are human. You will fail. Whether you like it or not. But I will tell you one thing.
Make one decision. Not a resolution. A decision. And not just any decision. Joshua 24:15- "And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Who will you serve? Decide to begin or better a relationship with your God. He wants you. Can you decide to want Him this year? Will 2013 be a year of faith and love for you? Or will it be another year of failure and bitterness?
If you decide to make this year one of faith, I can't promise miracles. I can't promise "easy." I can't promise money and health. I can't promise prosperity. I can't even promise life. But I can promise you that God will stay with the enter way. He will never leave you. "He will not leave you or forsake you.” What have you got to lose? 
Choose this day whom you will serve... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 
~Michaela