Morning person or Night Owl?

Are you a Morning person or a Night Owl?

I am a night owl 

10 things that make me smile

Here are the top ten things that make me smile...

1) God 

2) My boyfriend

3) My crazy family

4) Getting a nice text from someone

5) My friend's

6) Watching funny videos

7) Seeing something cute

8) Reading a favorite book

9) Listening to music

10) Watching a favorite movie

Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone has had a good Christmas so far and to have a good rest of your day. The new year is in 7 days, which means it will finally be the end of 2020. With everything that has happened this year 2021 should hopefully be better. Everything will eventually go back to how things used to be and maybe it won't be a bunch of crazy things. Enjoy this day and just wait for next Friday when it will be 2021.

My top ten favorite movies

Here is my top ten favorite movies

1) Jurassic Park 3

2) The Greatest Showman

3) Matrix

4) The Great Gatsby

5) Les Miserables

6) Hamilton

7) Rise of the Guardians

8) Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

9) Sound of Music

10) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

10 shows that I like

Here are 10 shows that I enjoy. It will be 5 regular shows and 5 anime in no particular order.

Regular tv shows

1) Voltron: Legendary Defenders

2) Arrow

3) Avatar: The Last Airbender

4) Merlin

5) NCIS

Anime

1) My Hero Academia

2) The Seven Deadly Sins

3) Black Butler

4) Kuroko no Basket

5) Haikyuu!!

My top ten favorite characters

Today I will list five characters I like from random anime and five characters I like from books in no random order. 

1) Shoto Todoroki from the anime My Hero Academia

2) Soul Eater from the anime Soul Eater

3) Gajeel Redfox from the anime Fairy Tail

4) Kenshin Himura from the anime Ruroni Kenshin

5) Kyo from the anime Fruits Basket

6) Percy Jackson from the book series Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan

7) Magnus Chase from the book series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

8) Will Treaty from the book series Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan

9) Hal Mikkelson from the book series The Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan

10) Jace Herondale from the book series The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

10 songs I could listen to multiple times

Music is something that I really enjoy and it helps me focus when I'm doing something. I'm gonna list 14 random songs that I can listen to more than once without getting bored, but it isn't the full list and it isn't in any kind of order

1) God's Not Dead

2) I'm the Bad Guy

3) Guns and Ships

4) Phantom

5) Every Praise

6) Broken Things

7) Cuphead the Musical

8) The Other Side

9) I Write Sins Not Tragedies

10) Maps

11) Greedy

12) The Fine Print

13) And So We Fall

14) Just Like You

Pride

Pride is a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.

Pride is something that everyone has, but they're people who deal with on a more enhanced level than others. It is nice when you have pride in your work or something that you have done, but it isn't okay when you take that sense of accomplishment and start to rub it in people's faces. That becomes ego and ego isn't all that good. 

When you start to flaunt that feeling of pride that you feel it can cause resentment especially if you're a boss and start doing that with the employees. The employees can quickly start hating you and refusing to do anything that they need to be doing. You can feel good about all that you are doing, but don't go overboard with letting people know.

Comfort

(This last picture is from Psalm 31:7-8.)

All three of these verses bring a sense of comfort for me because just knowing that God is with me through anything is nice to know. Comfort is something that everyone needs to experience when something happens that is upsetting to them and we should be willing to be the one who is the comforter. God is the one who will bring the sense of comfort, but not everyone knows Him or knows when He is interceding so we have to step out in faith and do it in the physical aspect of things.

Everyone experiences something bad happen at any given time and that can be overwhelming to deal with. As God's people we should be more than willing to be there for them when we know that they are in those rough patches. It shouldn't matter if we like the person or not because God is always going to be there for every single person regardless if they are doing what He wants or just doing whatever. Comforting people shouldn't be a chore, but something that we should with a open heart and something to look forward to.

Modesty

The definition of modesty is behavior, manner, or appearance intended to avoid impropriety or indecency. I'm a very modest person when it comes to clothing because I don't like when a lot of skin is showing. If I wear a dress or skirt it has to be past my knees or else I'm uncomfortable. I believe that everybody should show some modesty with what they wear especially women because we will attract the wrong set of people who will do us harm if we aren't careful. There is no reason to wear inappropriate or provocative clothing because it doesn't do a whole lot of good.

I get that you want to draw attention to yourself or get a guy to notice you, but that can still happen regardless. We need to have respect of our bodies and show decency when it comes to what we are wearing at any given time. Everyone knows the golden rule: treat others the way we want to be treated. That goes for ourselves as well. We can still have fun if we wear modest things out somewhere. We don't have to try to outdo anyone because God made us the way we are and other people's opinions shouldn't matter or have a say in how we should treat our bodies.

God will carry you

This poem is one of my favorites because it is comforting and very true. The last part when God answers that he was carrying the guy during his times of trial and suffering to explain why their was only one set of footprints. 

I was trying to come up with something for today that had to do with supporting people during hard times, but I was having trouble finding a verse from Scripture that jumped out at me to use. I know people who are having a hard time right now and I want to let them know that God is right there with them as well as myself. Sometimes I have feelings of self-doubt concerning helping others especially people that are close to me because it seems like I don't have the right words to say to uplift them.

I tend to forget that God is always in control and that He knows what is going on, so He will take care of it. I want everyone to know that you don't have to be anxious about what you are going through because God is right there with you and if you are friends with me know that I will be there for you to talk to if you need to talk or if you need someone to listen while you vent. 

For those of you who are struggling at this exact moment know that it will get better. Maybe not in the next second or minute, but eventually. Don't become discouraged or get pessimistic about what is happening because Satan wants you to be in that state. He wants you to feel like you have nobody in your corner who will be there for you and support you because in truth there is. God Himself is right there and I will always have your back during those times. If you are having trouble staying positive look up encouraging videos or message me if you are friends with me or do something that you love to do. 

God won't abandon you for feeling the way you feel or what you are going through and neither will I, so be encouraged in that and know that God is carrying you through all of the hard times and will continue to do so until it passes because it will. You can get through this.

Ski or snowboard?

Would you rather ski or snowboard? I haven't done either, so I wouldn't know. Skiing looks like it would be somewhat safer than snowboarding, but you could potentially get hurt either way. I don't have the balance for snowboarding, so I don't think I would be good at it lol. Does anyone prefer both? Why or why not? Both are winter things to do, so I thought that doing a post on it since winter is basically here just without the snow part would be cool. If I had to ski I would rather do cross country skiing where it's relatively smooth and without hills or mountains, but I don't know if I would ever snowboard. Let me know what you think

Winter

Winter is almost upon us and I have mixed feelings about it. On one hand I like when snow has newly fallen and the sun shines on it causing it to sparkle because it makes it look really pretty, but on the other hand I don't like the cold. I live in Michigan, so our winters can sometimes be very bad or it can be sort of chill. I hope that this winter is nice and not horrible, but you can never predict our weather right because it just does it's own thing.

Do you have a favorite thing about winter? Why? If you don't like winter why don't you?

It's probably my least favorite season with fall being my top because I don't like the cold and snow/ice makes things really dangerous for people along with cars. People need to learn to drive more carefully when it comes to the different kinds of weather along with doing it everytime they drive because that is how accidents happen. Please be careful when it does start to snow and the ice starts to cover the roads.

Christmas Season

Well it's finally December 1, which means that it's the Christmas season. People have already started decorating...that started the beginning of last month lol. It's also just so happens to be the last month of 2020, so that's good. I hope this Christmas time is good for everyone and I wish you all the best. I know it will be difficult to get together with family to celebrate Christmas, but if you live with family then you will still be able to spend it with loved ones and that is still good. Everything will work out and things will slowly get better. Enjoy this time and don't give up.

Breakups

Going through a breakup sucks because you don't think that it will happen when you get with someone especially someone who you have fallen in love with. It is always hard going through a breakup, but the first one sometimes hurts the worst because its the first time being in a relationship so everything is just brand new and it sucks when it ends. It will get better after awhile and you will move on and eventually you will find someone who will stay with you forever.

Fruit of the Spirit

~Love- wanting good to come to another person; being concerned and willing to work for another person's benefit.

~Joy- a feeling of great pleasure and happiness.

~Peace- freedom from disturbance; calm.

~Patience- able to put up with problems or pain without complaining or becoming angry.

~Kindness- the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

~Goodness- the quality of being morally good or virtuous.

~Faithfulness- trustworthy; loyal.

~Gentleness- the quality of being kind, tender, or mild-mannered.

~Self-control: the ability to control one's one actions and feelings.

(The ones in bold are the definitions from my Bible and the other ones came from Google)

Here are some examples of places in the Bible where it talks about each one: (I will bold each time it says what fruit of the Spirit it is)

Love: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).

Joy: "Consider it pure joy, my brother's and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance" (James 1:2-3).

Peace: "Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone" (Titus 3:1-2).

Patience: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

Kindness: "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothes yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience" (Colossians 3:12).

Goodness: "Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever" (Psalm 23:6).

Faithfulness: "Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart" (Proverbs 3:3).

Gentleness: "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near" (Philippians 4:5).

Self-control: "For this very reason, make every effort to are to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance: and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love" (2 Peter 1:5-7).

Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic day. It is a little different this year because of Covid, but being able to spend it with just one other person is more than enough. This will all hopefully be done soon, so we can celebrate with each other again. We should still be thankful for the things that we do have even though this year is messed up. 

I'm thankful for:

1) God

2) My family

3) My friends

4) The weather (even though I live in Michigan and our weather is weird)

What are you guys thankful for this year?

Insecurity

 

The definition of insecurity is uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence. Insecurity can be different for each person and for some it is something that is hard to deal with. Its okay to be insecure about stuff, but don't let it overwhelm you so much that you can't handle it anymore. God says:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them? Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?" (Matthew 6:25-27).

Also:

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, preset your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

Here are some ways to work on not being insecure that will hopefully work.

1) Surround yourself with good people who will build you up

2) Look in the mirror and say good things about yourself

    * "I'm alive"

    * "I got out of bed today"

    * "I ate something" 

    * "I drank water"

3) Take the time for you

4) Listen to some uplifting songs/motivation videos

    When you start to feel insecure about anything in your life or about yourself take a deep breath because you are not what you tell yourself. You are special and you are good enough. I believe that you can get through those moments. Keep your head up.

"I can do all this through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

Purpose

Everyone has a purpose. It can be anything and it will be God ordained. Some people already know what their purpose in life is while others don't know what theirs is right now. For those who already know I congratulate you and I wish you the best in fulfilling it. For the rest of you it's okay. 

I'm in the half that doesn't know what my purpose is. I know that God has given me something to fulfill, but I haven't figured out what that something is. It takes prayer and discernment to find out what you have to do. Part of me feels like it has to do with being there for people. The people who struggle with varying things, depression/suicidal thoughts, because those kind of people tend to gravitate to me.

I'm not a 100% sure that is what it is though. I have to be more intentional with my prayer life and trusting God more to be able to let Him work in what He wants me to do. I think that is what all of us struggle with at one point or another. 

People have a tendency to babble when we pray. Like we just list everything that we want God to do instead of taking the time to praise Him and be sincere. If we want to know what our purpose is (if we don't already know) then we need to be sincere and heartfelt when asking God to reveal it to us. It will be okay and you will figure it out.

Why I like this song?

I went to one of my Spotify radio playlists that I listen to that I already wasn't listening to at that moment and this was the first song to come on. I really like all of the music that Divide Music comes out with because they all are really cool. He does cool beats and amazing lyrics. This one has to do with an anime I'm really into right now called My Hero Academia. I like everything about this song. I will link the song at the end. You guys should listen to it. It doesn't matter if you have seen the show or not. It still is a good song. 

Here is the link to the song

Procrastination

I thought of doing procrastination as my topic for today because I really put this off today. I kept telling myself that I had to post, but didn't until now and for that I'm sorry. A lot of people have this same problem concerning a bunch of different things and the only way to not procrastinate is to just do it. Set reminders for yourself or put it in a planner/calender multiple times where you know you will always see it no matter what. You got this.

Communication

Communication is vitally important in relationships, whether that is romantically/platonically/to other family members or emotionally, because it makes things easier if people knew what we were thinking. I have the tendency to forget that I can't hold my feelings in because if I don't speak what is going on to someone I tend to get overwhelmed. There is a lot going on right now that is getting really hard to handle for me and it got to much last night to the point where I got really overwhelmed that I broke down. For a lot of people this is the typical response to trying to handle things alone instead of telling someone and that isn't a good thing to do. 

When things get hard we need to tell someone what we are feeling even if that person we are talking to doesn't understand what we are trying to articulate. It will help tremendously in the long run because we won't be holding onto the burden of keeping it to ourselves. If we don't want to talk to a person about what is going on we can turn to God and allow Him to take care of it. If we don't communicate to Him or anyone else then when we finally have enough of repressing it and break down no one will know the reason. Well, God will already know cause He knows everything anyways. 

Being able to communicate when we are dating someone in a way that isn't hurtful is also important. It has to be done in a positive way and in a way that allows being able to be heard. You need to be able to communicate when it comes to planning a date or during arguments that isn't going to result in conflict. 

It takes a lot of practice and commitment to be able to communicate well. It isn't going to happen automatically in the moment. You have to be able to stop and think about not over-reacting or the words that you need to say that isn't going to hurt the other person's feelings. Don't give up on trying to do this well right off the bat because you got this and it will get sorted out at some point.

Favorite season?

My favorite season is probably fall because I like when the leaves change color. It is so pretty and I love it. What about you guys? What is your favorite season and why? I kind of like winter when snow falls and it looks all nice and sparkly when it is newly fallen in the morning. Summer and spring are okay as well.

A motivational quote and what it means to me

This quote is so true because when you struggle through something and are able to get through it without giving up that is strength. Its not necessarily strength to win. Sure it takes physical strength to win something at times, but the strength I'm talking about to is the kind that allows you to continue even when life decides to throw things at you that is difficult.

What is your favorite motivational quote and why?

What are 5 languages that you want to learn?

The 5 languages that I want to learn are:

1) ASL ~ American Sign Language

2) Greek

3) Japanese

4) French

5) German

I think ASL would be fun to learn and it will be very helpful to know when I need to talk to people who are deaf. I really like Greek mythology and I want to visit Greece, so I think it would be cool to learn it for that reason. French and German are just nice languages that would be nice to learn.

What about you guys? Comment below the languages that you want to learn

What is your typical daily routine?

Good afternoon people. I hope you all are doing good. Today I will be telling you what I normally do in the morning when I wake up. Please comment here or on any of my social media that I post this on about the following question...

What is your typical daily routine?

Here is mine:

* I wake up sometime between 9:30 and 11. If I have volunteer work to do/church I wake up at 8.

*Go to the bathroom 

*Brush my teeth

*Fold up my blankets

*Get coffee

*Do my Bible stuff

~Turn on the Scripture affirmations video on YouTube

~I read my devotion book

~The Lectionary in my Bible for church

~Wherever I tend to be reading in (I'm reading my Bible straight through. Right now I'm in Exodus)

~Do the day in a leadership book my mom is letting me read

*Take my stuff downstairs

*Either get dressed then or just chill around for a bit before getting getting dressed

*Sometimes I will stick around the house for the day or see if my friend wants to hang out and if she does hang out with her

That is basically what I do on a daily basis. It will change depending on if I have something going on. Like Bible study or volunteering.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? This is a question that people get asked a lot and there is multiple ways to answer this depending on the person. For example myself. In 10 years I want to have a book store opened and loving every minute of it. What about you? Comment below or on my Facebook or Twitter if you follow me.

10 facts about me

This picture is of me and my niece who had just turned one when this was taken. Today I will be doing 10 facts about myself. Here we go...

1) I come from a big family (5 siblings, 2 nieces, and 5 nephews)

2) I love to read

3) I have been to multiple states 

4) I share a birthday with President Trump

5) My favorite color is green

6) My favorite movie is definitely the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World movies

7) I was in a hospital for 6 days when I was six for getting a vaccine

8) I like anime

9) I have been to the ocean

10) My favorite animal is the wolf

Boasting

Boasting is something that a lot of people do because of pride. A person who will boast about something just want to rub it in people's faces. You shouldn't boast about things because it will cause resentment in other people, which can turn into them hating you. If you feel the need to boast about something you don't have to say out loud to people. 

If you do something and are proud of it there is nothing wrong with telling people. The problem is when you do it excessively and do it just to get a reaction out of people. Sometimes by doing that it won't end well especially if it's over something that you shouldn't have done at all. 

Don't boast because it can end up with bad consequences. The people who you hang around with won't want to hang around you if you are boasting a lot because they won't like it, so just don't do it. 

Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Today is about Halloween since today is the 31st lol. I personally don't celebrate Halloween anymore, but the rest of you who do have fun. I'm in my twenties, so it doesn't make sense for me to trick or treat along with the fact that I tend to see things. That's why I don't celebrate it. I like all the decorations that are done and some of the costumes are cool, but other than that I don't do anything with it. I don't even like scary movies, so I'm just a boring person when it comes to this time. The rest of you who might be trick or treating or going to a Halloween party be careful out there and stay safe.

Improving prayer life

Our prayer life can be non-extinct or very little at times and that can't be. I realize that a lot of us are busy throughout the day, so we say that there isn't any time to pray. That is just an excuse we say in order to try to get out of praying, but this really needs to change. Schedule a time when you can spend some time communing with God whether that is getting up a little earlier in the morning or right before bed because when we do that we get closer to God. God wants to have a relationship with us, but if we aren't actively seeking Him then we aren't getting closer to Him. 

I have this problem where I only pray at night or do something quick when someone asks me to pray for them or someone they know. When I pray right before I go to sleep at night its always the same exact thing without actual meaning behind it. Prayer for me has became something that isn't really getting me nowhere because I don't pray with good intentions. I do it in such a way that is becoming repetitive/boring when it should be something I do that I'm actually happy to do. I need to change the way I pray and glorify God as I do because He deserves ALL the glory. 

We have to be more mindful of how we pray, how often we pray, and our meaning behind it. If we pray the same way with the same words then that isn't really praying anymore in a sense because we aren't changing it up or praying in a way that is allowing God to fully be present. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The way to improve our prayer life is to be aware that it isn't all that great to begin with and make an honest dedication to changing it. We should glorify God first before we get into what we want because God is the one who has ordained everything, so He needs to be given the credit in what He has done and who He is.

Gossip

 

                            

          We have a tendency to talk about people behind their backs when we don't like someone instead of just telling that person to their faces and that can cause a lot of problems. If we can learn to just talk to people about how we actually feel about them then there might be a few less problems. It is true that there will probably make problem regardless because it could cause hurt feelings, but I feel that its better if they knew instead of being informed by other people who might be getting things mixed up. Gossip is also can make way for rumors and that isn't a good thing. Rumors can be very ugly and they can really hurt people. 

There is no need for gossip to be a thing because you can just talk to people face to face instead of behind their backs. Nobody deserves to be spoken to or about in a negative way because it isn't nice and it can seriously hurt someone, so the thing to do to not do it. Stop spreading gossip or rumors and if you have a problem with someone then tell them yourself. Its better if its face to face and not in a secretive way. Why can't we all just get along instead of hurting people with our words?

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual gifts are the different things that God has given to each of us in order to help others, but not all of us specializes in the same ones. God designed us in a special way that is different from everybody else and He gave us certain gifts that are our greatest strengths. It doesn't have to be the ones in the Scripture in the picture above because they're more than what is written in that verse.

I have always struggled to know what my gifts are, but there are two that I can think of that I don't necessarily like all that much at times. Those two are empathy and the ability to pick up on emotions. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. I like being able to do that because then it shows that I care about that person without being fake about it, but the ability to pick up on feelings also has a part to play when I'm empathizing with someone and it isn't a good thing sometimes. 

I tend to hold on to those feelings and what I get told, which isn't good, because then it turns into a burden for me. I don't know when to let go fully and just leave to God. I mean I know that I have to pray and trust Him, but part of me doesn't fully relinquish it to Him.

There may be some of us who don't know what are spiritual gifts are, but it's like a personal journey you have to be on to figure out where yours lie because no one can tell you what your gifts are....except God that is. Be confidant in who you are and don't give up on the search because when you find out what those gifts are it will make a lot of sense since it can be obvious once you come to a conclusion. It's alright to not have it all figured out right away, so stay strong in the effort. 

Psalm 23

This is my favorite Psalm because it is so comforting to me especially verse 4. It is reassuring to me to know that God is with me through the valleys of my life, which is the low points/struggles, because He is the only one who can make things better. It doesn't matter what that thing is that I'm going through because God is with me regardless. 

What is your favorite verse in the Bible and why? Comment below your answer this. If you don't have a favorite verse then comment what does bring you comfort and the reason why.

Peace

Peace is something that everyone should want because it's important. If there was peace in the world then there would be no need for trouble or strife. We need to be nice to everyone, yes everyone no matter if we hate them or not, because we should treat others the way we want to be treated. We are taught that when we are little, but a lot of people don't do that. We want others to be nice to us when we are acting like jerks, but that's not what we should act like. 

Why would anyone want to treat us nice when we are jerks to them? If we are nice to people then they might be nice to us and everything will be okay. It doesn't matter if we like the person or disagree with what we are doing we need to be kind and help people. When that happens in the world then there will be peace.

Peace isn't going to happen if everyone is at each other's throats all the time. That isn't going to fix anything at all. If anything it will make things worse and just cause chaos. We all need to want peace and do something to start changing the world in a peaceful way that isn't hateful or derogatory. Only then will the world know peace.

Refuge

We are going to experience trouble at different times in our lives and its going to feel like we are alone or we don't have the strength to get through. The thing is we have someone who is going to stay by our side through anything that life throws at us and who will give us the strength to get through it. That person is God and He won't let is face stuff by ourselves, even though it might feel like we are. God is always going to have our back and we can be rest assured that He will provide us with anything that we need even a place to rest our heads.

There isn't anything that God won't help us with, but He might not do it right away because it has to be on His time not ours. He will answer our prayers in a way that might not be what we want, but that doesn't mean that He isn't going to answer. We are never going to be alone through our lives and we will always have a place of refuge when we need it. We just have to believe that and be comforted in it. 

Burdens

Burden: cause (someone) hardship or distress.

This also applies to ourselves as well because when we worry about something to a certain extreme it will start to physically affect us. I know when someone comes to me and tells me things that they are going through I tend to hold on to it because that is just who I am, but the thing is I need to learn to let it go and give to God in order for Him to do something about it. I am always telling my friends that if they need to talk they can talk to me, but when they do I still think about it for a very long time till I can't take it anymore. 

At that point I have no choice but to give it to God for Him to do what He wants to do with it, so I don't have to. I believe that is how most people are as well. Something will happen in their life that they will start to worry about and they won't let something to be done, so they allow it to sit and grow until it becomes unbearable. That isn't a healthy thing to do because it can hinder us from doing things.

The logical thing to do is to give it to God and let Him deal with it and to not think about it again because if we do that they it won't be a burden for us to carry. There is no need for us to continue to hold on to something when we have a God that is bigger than anything that we are going through and He will always be there when we need Him to.

Faith

Faith is something that can allow for anything to happen if we drop our pride and believe that it can happen. It is the thing that can literally move mountains:

"He replied, "Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20-21).

See the thing here is that we have to faith to be able to do things that may seem impossible. If you think of it the word impossible can also be said as I'm possible and I like to think of it like that because of the passage above. "Nothing will be impossible for you." Faith is also something that either comes easily to some people or be a struggle for others, but it has to be something that God has complete control over.

Honestly, I have had my own share of struggles with my faith and I feel like some people don't realize that about me. Now don't get me wrong I've never questioned whether God exists or not because there have been times where there hasn't been any question whatsoever. As I'm writing this part I'm starting to get emotional because its hard to admit that I have struggled with my faith. When my ex-friend tried to commit suicide our junior year of high school and I just so happened to be there when she did it ultimately saving her life in the process it was so hard to deal with. I questioned my faith then because I felt so guilty over what happened, even though it wasn't my fault, and I couldn't believe that God would allow me to go through something that traumatic.  I have had other people come to me that were depressed, struggling with suicidal thoughts, and just feeling hopeless and I don't like it at times. I love being there for people, but I don't like how attached I get to what is going on with them because at that point it turns into a burden and it just keeps on piling up till I can't handle it anymore.

I know I need to just give to God and let Him handle it, but its so hard for me to do. It feels like my faith is tested all the time and I know it is meant to see if we can stay on God's path without doubting, but when things start getting difficult its so hard to stay on that path. I will never stop believing in Him because I know without a shred of doubt that He is real and that He has my back. I need to learn to give things/let them go when I start getting overwhelmed with all the stuff people come to me with. I will still be there for those who need someone to talk to, but I can't hold onto it because it will start to affect me in a way that I shouldn't be.

If you are struggling with your faith right now in this season of hurt because of all the crazy that is happening this year keep your head up and pray for God to help you through it. Its okay to struggle at times because being a believer isn't going to be all sunshine and rainbows all the times. There is going to be struggles that we have to face at times, but if we have God on our side we can get through it. For those of you who aren't struggling with your faith right now that's good. That means that God is a priority for you in this moment. We need to all learn to allow God to be front and center when it comes to anything that is going on in our lives; the good and the bad. We have to have faith that He will be there for us no matter what through anything.

Cherish your friends

Friends are people who need to be cherished because you don't know how long a friendship will last. They're two types of friends; those who stay for a short time and those who will be there for a long time. The friends who stay by you for a long time are true friends and those are the ones that we need to be cherishing because they are the ones that matter. I'm not saying that all friends shouldn't be cherished, but the ones who stop being our friends aren't worth the effort of trying to keep.

If they want to stop being friends over something stupid that happened or because they are just using you then you shouldn't be friends with them. True friends will be there for you no matter what happens. They aren't going to use you for selfish reasons and they aren't going to leave at a drop of a hat. I personally have a couple of close friends that I will cherish forever because they are that important to me, but I have had friends who I stopped being friends with whether that was because they were toxic or we drifted apart. 

If you have friends or even that one friend who has been by your side through ups and downs keep them because those type of friends can be hard to come by. If you have friends who are bringing you down both mentally and emotionally then you need to get rid of them because you don't deserve to be put down like that. You don't have to be friends with people who are only going to belittle and disrespect you because having that toxicity in your life will slowly eat away at your other relationships that matter more. 

That isn't just reserved for friends either. It could also be family members as well, but that is a whole other thing. It will be hard to let those people go especially if you have known for a long time, but it has to happen if you want to be happy. You can do it and you can make friends who won't treat you like crap as well as being by your side through anything. Don't give up.

Reading

Reading is something I enjoy doing, but it feels like I have been sort of lax til recently. I will read down at one of my friends houses, but stopped reading at my home. I started reading again at my home like a week or so ago and haven't stopped lol. Reading for me is both relaxing and at times an escape depending on what is going on in my life. I can picture what is happening in the book I'm reading and I like when that happens because it actually feels like I'm part of it.

Not a lot of people like reading and that's okay. You don't have to like what I like. There is nothing wrong with that and it isn't going to hurt my feelings if you don't. Will I still talk about my favorite books to you? Of course I will. You can like what you like; I will like what I like and that's that. If I happen to find someone who likes reading like me then we can talk about the books we read. 

Toxic people

Toxic people are those people who tend to make it all about them and who speak negative all the time. They want to be the victim in whatever circumstance that they are in and just put it all on you because they want someone to feel sorry about them. I used to have a friend who was toxic and it took me a long time to finally be like I can't be friends with this person. We met when we were in Middle school and we friends til we graduated high school together. 

Every time this person would call me she never let me have a word in edgewise because all they would talk about was how bad their life was and blah blah blah. Now don't get me wrong I like being that friend that will listen to you and support you through anything you are going through, but when you start to act like it's someone else's fault for why you can't move forward with your life and are negative all the time I can't be friends with someone like that.

It's really hard for me to let friends go, but after I realized how bad that person was for my life I stopped talking to them. If you have someone in your life who you know is toxic then you need to let them go and make friends with people who will actually be your friend. Toxic people will wear you down after awhile and it sucks when it slowly starts to escalate. 

I know it will be hard for those of us who don't want to let go of friends, but you can't allow all that negativity to be present because it will slowly start to affect you and that isn't a good thing. If you really don't want to lose that friend then I guess you can have a talking to with that person or people and let them know that what they are doing isn't right or good for you. Tell them how you feel and if they won't change what they are doing then you won't be friends with them anymore. That will be a hard talk and you might end up losing them regardless, but sometimes it's for the best.

Choices

We all have choices to make every second of every day and each choice determines what we will do. There is a good and a bad choice that we can do at any point. The thing is we have to choose to do the good thing because that is more essential than whatever the bad thing. When you do something bad there is consequences that will come out of it.

When you do something bad it can either end up with you dead or in jail. Jail is no place for anybody because it is a scary place that anything could happen in. Literally anything. In order to not end up jail don't do things that is against the law. People think that the law/rules don't apply to them and that they are hard, but when you end up in jail that quickly changes.

Just make good choices and try to ignore that little voice that is saying to do something bad because going down that road isn't going to end up being a good thing. We know right and wrong....well we should, so we need to be doing the right thing like staying out of trouble with the authorities and some good could come out of it. You got this.

Being different isn't a bad thing

 

      Being different isn't necessarily a bad thing because it shows that you don't go with how society is trying to make you be like. It doesn't matter what you look like,body type, mental state, what gender/sexuality you identify as, what your personality is, etc. It doesn't matter what other people think of you because it just matters what you think of you. Sure some of the things that you do or identify yourself as is against God. Let me tell you something though I might not agree with what you are doing, but I will respect you anyways because that is just who I am as a person. Its not my place to judge you, so I won't its that simple.

    Hebrews 12:14 says, "Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord."

    Matthew 7:1,2 says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."

    We shouldn't be mean to those who aren't like what we want them to be because being different is what makes them unique and special. Society wants everyone to look a certain way and to act a certain way, but if that was a thing then it will be like a group of robots and not actual individuals. Its just like when people say that God should control every aspect of us if He wants everyone to follow Him (He does, but He isn't going to force it). God is more than capable of just causing everyone to do what He wants, but He doesn't because then there isn't that choice of fully believing in Him. He wouldn't have given us free will if that was the case.

    No one is perfect...well actually no human is perfect. The only one who is perfect is God Himself. Saying that that means that everyone person is going to be different regardless. There is obviously things that you shouldn't do...criminal things that is, but if you like to read or cosplay or sing or whatever else that isn't a crime then do it. Who cares what other people think of you. There is always going to be those people who will say mean/hateful things to you and that is going to be difficult to hear, but we need to learn to block those words out and keep doing what we are doing.

    Take myself for example: I'm in my early twenties and I like to read, anime, wear different colored clothes together, loves Jesus, and is in the middle of being an introvert/extrovert (I feel more like a introvert though lol). I'm weird, but I like that I'm weird even though there are people who don't like some of those things. Here is the thing: I don't care what people think of me. I also don't drink alcohol (I've had sips of a couple things, but that's it. Just a sip or two), smoke (that includes weed/marijuana or anything like that), or do any kind of drugs. I'm just not into those things and they're bad for you anyways. People don't get why I don't drink since I can legally now, but that's fine it isn't going to affect me.

    Being different shouldn't be something that we keep bottled up. If we do that we aren't being our true selves and we are just being fake doing that. Just embrace who you are and don't allow all the negativity get to you. Become friends with the other weirdos lol and stop trying to be someone your not.

Genuineness

 

                                        

                    When you find a truly genuine person keep them close and don't let them go because true genuineness isn't in everyone. Become friends with them because if you are friends with them then you will know that they won't leave no matter what. There are people out there who you might end up befriending, but that doesn't mean that they will be real friends or not. That's called being fake and fake people aren't worth dealing with because they don't really care about you. Being genuine is something that comes really easily to people and difficult for others.

Take myself for example: I'm nice to people and if you are my friend I will stick by you unless you give me a reason not to be friends with you. I love all people and I will respect them unless they give me a reason not to. I always tell all my friends that I will be there for them no matter what and if they ever need someone to talk to or just someone to listen I will be that person. I feel like I'm naturally genuine when it comes to people, but there are times when I will get irritated/annoyed/mad at someone (like all people). When I first meet someone I'm instantly nice to that person. Its my first instinct because I don't know what they are going through or have gone through and I don't want to make things worse.

Everyone should be genuine to one another because it is important to show that you care about them as a person and just who they are in general. Its important for people to feel like someone cares about them and is actually sincere about it because they could be struggling with self-esteem or something like that and they might already feel like nobody cares about them, so when we associate with them we need to show true authenticity/sincerity to that person. Being genuine shouldn't be something that we shy away from. We should embrace it and being caring to people. 

Keep our Focus on Jesus

(The full story is Matthew 14:22-36, but for the sake of this blog topic I'm focusing on 29-31).

Those verses in the picture is something that we should all be aware of because it can happen to us (not literally lol) and that's not a good thing. You see when our focus is completely on Jesus without us wavering in that focus then we are able to do anything, even walk on water, but the minute we start to doubt Him and remove our eyes from Him then we will start to sink. The thing is we don't have to be afraid of sinking because when we call out to Him to help us He will do exactly that. He wants our full attention at all times, but because of our humanity we tend to fall away at times when things get to hard to handle or we just want to be rebels. 

When we are being rebellious eventually we will turn back to Him. The same thing is go when we sin. Eventually we will have no choice, but to go to Him in order for Him to cleanse us. It might not happen for a long time, but it will at some point that we are not expecting it even want to happen. Keeping our focus on Him will help us through whatever life decides to throw at us because we will know without a shadow of a doubt that He is with us during those times. It can feel like a struggle at times because other things can show up that have a tendency to show up in order to distract us.

Those distractions can either come from Him or Satan himself and if they come from Satan we have to be on guard against those things. I have had a thought where life is just one big test that God decides to throw at us to see if we would keep on His path. They're things that we can keep our focus on, like a certain hobby, for a long time so why can't we do that with God. Sometimes it feels like we do things on purpose to see how long it takes for us to get away with it until God decides to do something that makes us stop and that isn't a good thing.

Stop taking your eyes/focus off of Him. I know easier said then done, but we can do it. It isn't impossible, but we have to make that decision to do so because we have to do it ourselves. If we are having trouble doing so ask Him to help because He will. Keep asking if He doesn't answer right away because He isn't going to leave us hanging. 

Bullying

Bullying is not okay and people shouldn't do it. There is different kinds of bullying, but they're basically the same in that they hurt people. The different kinds of bullying are:

1) Physical bullying

2) Verbal bullying

3) Cyber bullying

4) Sexual bullying

5) Relational Aggression/Emotional Bullying

6) Prejudicial bullying

All six of these are all harmful to people. There is no reason for bullying others at all because there is no point in doing so. If anything the bully is also harmed, at some point when he/she finally realizes what they have been doing to that person that they have been terrorizing. Just be nice to others. It isn't that hard. Stop the bullying. If you see bullying at work then you need to step in and put a stop to it. 

Schools have a no bullying policy, but bullying still happens and when it gets reported nothing happens. What's the point of a no bullying policy when you aren't going to stand by it. Bullying is one of the causes of suicides and if you care about people then you should do something about all the bullying. Bullying isn't just what causes someone to commit suicide, but it is one that can be kind of obvious if you're looking for it. Bullying needs to stop.

Social Media

These three: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; are the three biggest social media platforms there is (there are others, but we are going to focus on these three). Social media is something that can be easily used in a negative way. Some people use social media as an escape while others use to grow a business, but there are those who use it to complain or belittle others. It doesn't matter who you are or what your background is for you to be able to use it as a positive thing.

A lot of different types of people use it. From adults to teens to children (at a certain age) and we need to be aware that children are using certain social media. That alone changes things because if we just post whatever we want it can negatively affect those kids who are on there scrolling. There is already an issue with pedophiles interacting with kids as it is, so we shouldn't be feeding into it. It doesn't matter if you aren't actively being gross with your posts, but kids are very impressionable. 

Be careful what you post because you don't know who is going to be reading them at any given point. In a way social media can be used to bully others, also called cyberbulling, which is very wrong. Bullying is not okay and if you are aware of bullying that is going on do something about it. Don't ignore the problem just because it doesn't have anything to do with you. Use social media as a way to not only make a positive impact on yourself, if it is to grow your business, but for others to see it and have it change their perspectives on things.

Positive vs Negative

Being positive can sometimes be a struggle especially when bad things are happening in our lives, but is is essential that we find something to be positive about during those times. When we have a positive attitude through anything that life throws at us will be helpful in the long run because there is always something to be positive about and we will have a more happy view on the world.

Having a negative viewpoint day of the world or even if the people around is is not healthy at all. It can greatly dampen our moods if we are negative all the time. It can effect our relationships because we would always be complaining about something and that isn't a good thing.

Be positive or at least try to be positive about things because it will turn out to be a good thing. There is no need to be negative because it can impact our health and change the relationships that we have with people, so find that positive thing that is going on with you in your everyday life.

Right vs Wrong

Everyone knows right and wrong. It is right to listen to our parents or guardians, but it is wrong to be disrespectful. As humans though we tend to do whatever we want no matter the consequences. This can lead to really bad choices, which is the wrong thing to do. Knowing what is right for our lives and knowing what is the wrong thing to do is vitally important because the right things will benefit us while the wrong things will not.

1) Obeying authority figures - like parents and guardians

2) Respecting people

3) Not doing things that are breaking the law

4) Not starting fights - physical or otherwise

1) Anything criminal - murder, robbery, stealing (yes shoplifting is a crime), drugs (selling/distributing/doing), gang affiliation, etc

2) Disobedience

3) Harming others in any way

4) Running away

These are some examples of what is right and what is wrong. If we don't want to end up dead or in prison from our actions then we need to stop doing bad things. For some of us it's easy, but for others easier said then done if we are used to doing the bad. If you are struggling with doing the right thing then you should seek help to do so.

God works

This is my boyfriend Brandon. He is a very lovable guy and we get along. Here is the thing though: He doesn't really follow God. Like he knows He exists and everything, but he didn't really read his Bible or go to church. That is until recently. I have been wanting him to go to church for a long time, but the more I asked him to come the more it felt like he was shutting me out in a way until I stopped for awhile. 

If I'm remembering correctly I brought it up once and we had a conversation about it and then I think I said something again, but I don't remember lol. Until I went to church one Sunday and went to grab my chair that I use outside (because of this whole Corona virus we have been having church out in the parking lot with people in their cars. My pastor has this thing that allows him to transmit his voice/music through the car radios. Since I don't drive I sit in a chair.) I walked into the building to grab it when I saw him sitting in it. I was a little shocked, but not all that surprised because he had been texting me when I was up getting ready. Mind you it was like 9 something in the morning...he isn't usually up at that time, so I had a suspicion he was gonna be there.

Anyways, that was the first time he came to church, but he wasn't fully paying attention. That doesn't matter lol. After that he started to come more than once. So far I think he has come around 4-5 times, but if he isn't there at the actual building he watches the live stream. 

Yesterday, the 20th lol, I had went over to his house after church and at one point he randomly flipped open his Bible to look up verses that he was given as part of some autographs that he has from the Unity Christian Music Festival and had questioned why. I said that I have been praying for him and for God to show him that He is there for him. I feel like he was a little taken aback at that. 

The point of this story is that prayer and God works. When you pray ceasingly for someone eventually something will start to happen that will be an answer to whatever the prayer is. I have been praying for him for a long while and honestly had started to give up on it happening when it did and I'm so glad. I can't wait to see what else God has in store for him and our relationship because I know now that He is working to change him for the better. Never stop praying for something or someone that is really important to you because at some point it will start to get answered. Don't give up when things seem to be happening slowly because that is when God tends to something that gets back at us for doubting Him. It happened to me and it can happen to you.

 

Leadership

Leadership is something that should be taken seriously because people will only follow good leaders. You have to be willing to put yourself out there and be vulnerable with your team as well as being aware of what is going on with your team. It's important to be both kind and strict in a sense with the members of your team, so that they will respect you along with not doing whatever they want.

You also have to be relational. That means interacting with the entire team together and individually to show that you care about what they are doing. You are a team, which means that you aren't alone, and for it to work smoothly you need to show that you care. You shouldn't over work yourself either when your a leader because then you can get sloppy in your work and it can affect your mood towards the team, which can hinder things a lot because you can start being mean and rude to them instead of being nice causing bad feelings towards you to start to happen. Don't allow yourself to do that because you can't do your job properly and you will start to lose the respect of your team. Do your best and believe in your team.

Miracles

 

Miracles do happen. They happen all throughout the New Testament and they happen in real life as well. For example: what happened with my dad five years ago. For those who don't know what I'm referring to I will tell the story. July 7, 2015 was a day that would change our lives. My dad was at work working on garage doors on a fork lift when one of the springs from the doors swung back and hit him in the face knocking him off the fork lift. He was about 10-12 feet off the ground and landed on his head. His face was fractured, he has a permanent hole in his frontal lobe, he had to get nine titanium plates in his head, and he was walking on two broken feet for three months before we found out that they were broken. When this happened all the doctors and his surgeon didn't have any hope what-so-ever that he would pull through.

They had to put him in a medically induced coma, which he was in for four days, and then got transferred to Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids for three weeks (I don't actually remember), but the thing is he survived. A lot of people were praying for him, like around the world as well, and because of that along with God working he is still with us today. This was a miracle and we are all so grateful along with blessed that he survived that horrific accident.

Miracles are something that need prayer as a base because it will help with things. When you pray God listens to what you are asking. He might not answer right away or the way we want, but He will answer regardless. When a bunch of people are praying for the same thing it will happen. Just because you don't see a miracle at work doesn't mean that they don't happen. Its just like saying how God is real even though you can't physically see Him. He is all around us all the time and He is doing wondrous things. Miracles can include......

1) Birth 

2) New growth

3) Beating an addiction

4) Beating cancer

5) Surviving an accident

6) Being reunited with loved ones

Believe in the power of miracles and don't give up on them just because it isn't happening right away. Sometimes bad things happen regardless of how much praying we are doing for it not to happen, but maybe it is time for it to be a thing. I know that sounds bad, but its true and it isn't God's fault that it occurred in the first place. God isn't a horrible person who just allows all the bad things to happen. We have to remember who the real enemy is. When Satan is finally put down for good will be a miracle because he is a horrible person who "attacks" people with things that can be destructive for that person. God will be the victor that day and it will be amazing. Waiting for a miracle to happen takes patience and dedication to the wait because it isn't right at the specific moment that it happens at times. Stay strong in the wait and continue to look for the miracles that are all around you.