Brightest during the strom.

We all have those low points in our life, and we all have those times when we just want to give up. And as Christians sometimes we feel that God is just not there with us.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" - Proverbs 3:5

"Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" 1 Peter 5:7

" And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19

"Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come. He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness, in an uninhabited salt land. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

 - Jeremiah 17:5-9 

When you feel like you can’t find God through the tough times in life, sometimes all we need to do is stop and remember where God has already been and the trials God has carried us through. Looking back, you can see where God was with you during frightening times. Looking for God in the past helps you know and trust that God is going to be with you in the present. He will never forsake you. No matter how tough life gets. 

But have we ever stopped to think that maybe we have turned against our Lord. During those stormy times in our life, have we truly been seeking the Lord? This verse hit me hard when I read it. We were not made to be self-sufficient. So many times when life gets rough we try to fix it all on our own, and when that happens for me, I fail. And sometimes I end up making things even worse. We were designed to need God at all seasons of our life. He wants to be there for us. He is there for us. All we have to do it talk to Him.

Mission Statement

We always here about corporations' mission statement and what they hope to see happen within the business, but you don't really hear about personal mission statements. What do I want to see happen in my life? What do I want to be remembered for? These were questions that were asked at my Life Group Sunday night, and I had no idea what my personal life mission statement would be. It even took me awhile to think of values I live by and ones that I want to live by. 

So these past few days those two questions have been on my mind.
 

"So let my life be the proof,
the proof of Your love
let my love look like You and what You're made of" - (for King and Country)

 

This is one of my favorite songs and I love these lyrics. I want people to see the love of our Heavenly Father when they see me. I want my love to look like Him and what He is made of. I want my life to truly reflect His grace and mercy.

"Dear friends, let us love another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" - 1 John 4:7

"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love" - Ephesians 4:2

Love. Love. Love. Such a powerful thing. I want my life to be full of love. When I die, I want people to remember me because of His love. "We love because He first loved us." - Ephesians 4:19 We have been given the command that if we love Him, we must also love our brothers and sisters. 

 

Proverbs 18:10

I have been single for about two months now and I still struggle with it daily. After being in a relationship for four and a half years, there is nothing easy about breaking-up; but I know that this is what God wants for me at this point in my life.

We see things in our life from a very small perspective and it's very easy to look past what God is trying to tell us. Sometimes we need to get a look at our life from God's perspective. Proverbs 18:10 says "The name Yahweh is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are protected." I wasn't running to God with all of my fears, doubts, and problems. I let my boyfriend be that comfort. I relied on him and not on HIM. Even though I knew this was wrong I let it go on for way to long. I could hear God telling to me let go of the relationship and trust Him but I was too stubborn and didn't listen. Being with my ex was comforting and I didn't want to let that comfort go. I do not like being out of my comfort zone. For months I worked on the relationship and tried telling myself that everything was okay and we were "meant" for each other. But that all caught up to me.

After being away from each other for a little over a month, something  just did not feel right. Funny thing is, our relationship was great. Probably the best it had ever been. So why did I feel the way I did? That is the question I asked God over and over again. How was it that we were so happy with each other and I was so in love with our relationship and my boyfriend, but deep down inside I knew I needed to end it? - I wasn't in love with Jesus the way I should've been. That answer seems so simple, but took me quite awhile to figure out. I looked past the fact that I put my boyfriend and relationship before Him. We serve a jealous King and sometimes we need to let go of what we love the most so we can love Him the most.

These past two month have been pretty interesting. I've learned so much and I have relied on the Lord more than I ever have. God has placed so many incredible opportunities in front of me and I am constantly amazed by how much He loves me. I know that this is a new season in my life and I am ready to face it with the strength from above.

Stay classy,
J-Rey