Simply Believing YOU are Able

Laat night I realized that I would be going on a drama tour today during which I was to perform a skit I didn't know the lines for yet. I had to learn five minutes worth of lines in an eveving, but I was able to do it. Often times the world wanted to beat us down and make us feel like we are not able.

God gave us all special talents, but that doesn't also mean that we are not able to do other things as well. Especially when it comes to school, I know many people can feel like they just can't get all their homework done. If you prioritize though, and work hard you are able to do anything! Besides you can do anything with God!

Simply Believing YOU are Able to Persevere

Sometimes it is easy to just want to give up. There are so many bad things that go on all around us that we just don't even want to deal with it anymore.

Today, one of the girls in my dorm chose to leave this school. She felt as though she just couldn't handle all of the things happening around her and that is okay! Sometimes things will get bad and we just need to get out of that situation and find a new and better one.

The trick is if God is leading you to be somewhere you need to persevere. Allow God to lead you and He will show you wonderful things you have never seen before. I also want you to realize that ending your life is never the answer. You may feel as though your pain will end, but for everyone else the pain will increase. It is never worth it!

God is guiding your life and He created you for a purpose. Persevere and allow Him to lead your life to do great things for Him!

Simply Believing YOU are a Winner

This evening our school held class on class volleyball games. My class hadn't really won anything so far, so we were not super pumped. The first game was between the juniors and freshmen. The freshmen unfortunately lost, and the juniors won. This meant that the juniors would go on to the championship.

Next my class played against the sophomores. The sophomores had a lot of good people; they even won the first set. During the end of the second set I scored 7 points for the senior class and we ended up going on to the championship!

Everyone wanted me to continue playing, but I was really nervous. Luckily though we ended up winning the entire game! This taught me a great lesson; even though we don't always win that doesn't mean we never can. You won't always be a winner, but you won't always be a loser either.

God created us all with unique talents to glorify Him. Tonight I give all the glory to God for our win! Without Him it wouldn't have been possible!

Simply Believing YOU are Wanted

It is easy for many girls to feel unwanted. I am especially reminded of this as my school's Christmas banquet rolls around. All of the girls are wondering who will be asking them or if they will even be asked. As everyone sees their friends getting dates, many girls feel like they are not wanted.

Feeling unwanted can happen anywhere too. Whether you feel unwanted because you weren't chosen to be a part of a team; maybe you feel unwanted because you were chosen last.

Something everyone should remember though is that they are wanted by the King of Kings. God wants us. He wants to chase us. God loves us!

Simply Believing God Has YOUR Back

Recently I have been very discourgared. I have been socially, emotionally, scholastically, and physically drained. I must admit I have shed some tears and vented to my mom many evenings this week.

Sometimes it is easy to feel like the whole world is coming down on you. It can feel as though there is no one else to help you carry your burdens, but God is right there. He is literally waiting and urging you to allow Him to help you carry your burden.

For many of us we want to keep that burden to ourselves. The silly thing is, why would you want to carry that all by yourself? There is an almighty God that is literally looking down on you as you struggle with life. He is just simply waiting to be called upon. He is right there. You can literally just throw everything onto Him!

I urge you to lean on Him. To know that He is right there and you can ask for His help. God can perform miracles and He has something special planned for you. Give it all to Him and I'll try to too!

Simply Believing YOU are His

Recently I have had a very difficult time with accepting what is happening in my life. Things seem to have been going wrong and not going my way. Something I need to remember is that I am God's!

God has a wonderful plan for my life. I am His child and He cares about me. He wants me to be happy, but sometimes we just have to be patient and wait for His plan to pan out.

We all need to learn to lean on God more because He cares for us. He is our heavenly Father and He has great plans for us even though we may not be able to see them yet.

Always remember that you are His and He cares about every aspect of your life!

Simply Believing YOU are Smart

I just recently got back from a bell festival and because of it I had to miss classes. I missed several tests which I now having to make up during this coming week. Sometimes it can become very stressful thinking about all of the homework and tests and it's easy to feel like I am not smart enough.

Especially as we hear about other people's great accomplishments in school it is easy to get frustrated and feel l like we just are not smart enough. When someone gets an A and you get a B it can be hard to think about.

Sometimes I like to think of it this way. Everyone has struggles but the struggles God allows to happen to us are the struggles we can handle. If God didn't think we could handle not having schooling come easy to us then He would not allow it to happen to us.

The Lord has a plan and a purpose and He knows what we can handle. He also believes that we are all smart and capable of reaching our goals.

One last side note I would like to add: work hard in school because your grades now will matter later even though it may not seem like it at this time.

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future.'" Jeremiah 29:11

Simply Believing YOU are Beautiful

Early this morning I spent time taking my senior pictures with my mom and sister. I was surprised to look back and have the thought cross my mind that I actually looked beautiful!

It is so hard for a girl to believe that she is beautiful especially when society tells us other wise. It is easy for us to look at the popular girl and begin to feel worthless.

There are so many ads and magazine articles talking about "Summer Makeover Tricks" or "Best Body Ever." Many girls fall into this trap and begin to think that unless they have that cute summer bod or that flawless clear skin, no one will ever think they are beautiful.

We were created in the image of God though. Therefore if we call ourselves ugly and not beautiful we are declaring that our heavenly Father is not beautiful and His creation is ugly. When we think about it this why would anyone want to be ugly or unattractive in their minds.

Fortunately, even though you may at times feel you are unattractive, there is someone who will always think that you are beautiful. Song of Solomon 4:1 says "All beautiful you are my darling, there is no flaw in you." Our Father in Heaven simply believes that all of us are beautiful, so why should we think any different?

Simply Believing YOU are Strong

It is quite obvious that our heavenly Father is coming for us soon. Sometimes it feels like everything is going wrong and I begin to wonder if I am strong enough to handle it.

Almost every day it seems we hear of another shooting, or worse. The wonderful thing to remember though is that if we stay strong in our faith in Jesus, He will carry us through.

It may not be something big, it may just be getting through this year without failing another class, but God can carry us through. He will always be there for us, allowing us to lean on Him and rely on His strength. God makes us stronger!

Always remember that no matter how bad things seem to be going, God is right there beside you and He can get you through anything.

Simply Believing YOU are Called

Several years ago, a young family in my church answered a call to move two and a half hours away from their current home to do mission work for Christ. It is easy, as we hear of these things, to get discouraged, because it isn't like we can just up and move at the age of 16.

Sometimes as a teenager, I feel like I can't make a difference for Christ. The real truth though, is that we are all called by Christ for a greater purpose. It may not be something crazy like moving. It may not even be in another country, but there are plenty of callings, even within your own church family. There are so many opportunities to make a difference such as, greeting, singing, playing an instrument, or helping with Vacation Bible School at your church.

Romans 8:28 says "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."

YOU are called to make a difference. Whether you are 13 or 93, you have a calling. The question is, when will you choose to answer it?

Simply Believing YOU are Talented

I am attending a hand bell festival this weekend. I have noticed that as you hear each group's individual piece they have prepared it is easy to get discouraged. Thoughts come washing over me of, "I wish our group was that good," or, "Maybe we would be cooler if we sounded like that."

Something I have noticed though is that the fact that I can play the hand bells is a talent. I may not be the greatest bell ringer ever or be able to play an entire song by myself, but God has given me a talent. It is important to remember that our talents are given to us by God to use for God. Our talents were given to us with the purpose of aiding others as they draw closer to God. Many people get caught up in the applause and complements, but all the glory should go to God.

Use your talents for God! Show others His amazing grace through music, speaking, drama, or even a smile. We all have different talents and the beauty of it is different talents speak to different people.

I beg you to allow God to speak to others through the talents He has given you so that His kingdom will be bursting at the seams. And I'm sure your church won't mind you using your talents to fill the church either.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
1 Corinthians 10:31

Simply Believing YOU Have a Purpose

Sometimes it is easy to think that don’t have a purpose. Especially as a teenager it is sometimes difficult to see why you have been put here on this earth. The beautiful thing is that God has a purpose thought out for every one of His children. And He has a purpose for you!

As I am trying to decide what college I will be attending, I continue to feel the pull to go to a public university. All of my friends and the adults in my life continue to push me towards continuing my Adventist education, but I don’t feel like that is God’s plan for my life. I have the inclination that a large part of God’s purpose for my life is to reach others for Christ through Bible studies. God is pulling on my heart strings to start a revolution. To attempt to reach the young ladies at a public university. I don’t know which college that will be or how I will be able to accomplish this task, but I don’t believe it is impossible.

I have already felt God’s purpose for my life as I have led an online Bible study along with a Bible study in my high school dormitory at my boarding school. I feel called to share God’s word with the ladies around me. And God is calling you too!

God has a beautiful plan for your life. Although you may not be able to see it right know, I pray that it will soon become clear. God would not have created you if He did not have an amazing purpose for your life. I encourage you to pray to God, that He would reveal His purpose for your life to you, so that you can get started. Once you find your purpose, I hope that you will be energized to run towards accomplishing your new goal! I promise you it will be worth it.

“But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Exodus 9:16

Simply Believing YOU are Free

So many times we want to follow in someone's footsteps or follow the crowd, but God created us to be unique individuals. We are free to be who God created us to be and not to be molded, by the world, into something that we are not. The real truth though is that each one of us is unlike another. 

God gave us the freedom to be one hundred percent original! Jeremiah 1:5 says “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” You are free to be unique, free to be yourself and free to be YOU! So why not go out and proclaim to the world that YOU ARE FREE!