Wow. 24:6 of 2010 was amazing. epic. awesome. more than I could have hoped for. During the conference, God really spoke to me about plans and the future. I spoke one night and had quoted someone (I think it may be Woody Allen, but I can't quite remember) and said "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans." Which is true! A few months ago I began to have this desire that I believe was put in my heart from God to be a photojournalist, and I thought 'okay, I can shoot a few friends, maybe start a portfolio, and go send them away and that will be that!' Well, no, my friends. God has much bigger plans for me! Because a day after that, I got a phone call from my mum informing me that we are going on the missions trip to.... drum roll.... AFRICA! AFRICA. Yes. Africa. I cried and rejoiced. It was a beautiful moment for me, it was all coming together, and my heart has ached to beat in Africa ever since I first saw a safari show on the Discovery channel when I was about 7 or 8.
You could say I definitely PTL'd when I found out! It just showed me that God has such better and bigger plans than I could have imagined for myself, and I think this is going to the start of something beautiful.
Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
I think that scripture pretty much sums it up. You may have some plans for your life, but God has better ones, bigger ones. He knows the desires in your heart, and He is going to show you and provide you with amazing opportunities if you just open your ears and listen to what He has to say. Let Him show you the plans He has for you and let Him lead you. Don't stray; follow God and you will be blessed and you will find amazing things.
That has just been on my heart to share with all of you - and I know a lot of you heard it at the conference.
Love & Prayers,
Torch
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Surrounding Yourself with Positive Influences.
Wow! These past few weeks have been pretty eventful! You know how they say in highschool you find out who your real friends are? Well, let me tell you, I sure have! There's so many people that LOVE creating drama, but I mean, who has time for it, really?! between the tests, quizzes, homework, and everything else school throws at you who WANTS drama?
It's just truly unbelievable to me, some people. BUT! I will walk in LOVE, and I'm not here to judge! (that kind of rhymes.. ;) )
I'm here to say, surround yourself with people who share the same beliefs and morals as you, it's really helpful, it keeps YOU on track, not straying to the highschool immaturity all around you. Or any immaturity, really! If you're at work, or grocery shopping, or whatever! For me, I've learned that surrounding yourself with positive influences is the BEST! :) I mean, you may be close with people who aren't Christian and swear, etc. and obviously, don't judge them for it, just, don't take on their bad habits. I know everyone slips, trust me, I've done it too! Just don't make it a routine, you know?
It also helps having close Christian friends, you both help each other and keep each other on track as well as encourage them! I think it helps develop your spiritual maturity, too! Spiritual maturity is a big thing, in my opinion. But it isn't your friends who help you build your spiritual maturity, really, it's GOD!
For a lot of us, we've all been building a great relationship with God and learning to live a Christian life. Here's a scripture that might encourage you:
2 Peter 1:3-9 "Evererything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books."
The thing that sticks out most to me is "don't lose a minute building on what you've been given". It's true! It's like, "don't build your sand castle so far from the water that it takes days to get wet sand for building, but don't build it right on the shore so it gets washed away at high tide." Do you know what I mean? Build a strong Faith and practice living a Christian life, but don't hide it from everyone so they don't get to see it... You know? But also don't "build it on the shore so it gets washed away" which is like, don't build up your Faith weakly so it's taken away quickly. PERSEVERANCE, is the word I think I'm looking for!
Get to know God more and more each day. When I read a scripture one time, and go back to it later I always get something new out of it. I think the phrase You Learn Something New Everyday fits perfectly, because I always am!
I encourage you all to stay faithful to God on your journey.
Love, Torch! :) <3
It's just truly unbelievable to me, some people. BUT! I will walk in LOVE, and I'm not here to judge! (that kind of rhymes.. ;) )
I'm here to say, surround yourself with people who share the same beliefs and morals as you, it's really helpful, it keeps YOU on track, not straying to the highschool immaturity all around you. Or any immaturity, really! If you're at work, or grocery shopping, or whatever! For me, I've learned that surrounding yourself with positive influences is the BEST! :) I mean, you may be close with people who aren't Christian and swear, etc. and obviously, don't judge them for it, just, don't take on their bad habits. I know everyone slips, trust me, I've done it too! Just don't make it a routine, you know?
It also helps having close Christian friends, you both help each other and keep each other on track as well as encourage them! I think it helps develop your spiritual maturity, too! Spiritual maturity is a big thing, in my opinion. But it isn't your friends who help you build your spiritual maturity, really, it's GOD!
For a lot of us, we've all been building a great relationship with God and learning to live a Christian life. Here's a scripture that might encourage you:
2 Peter 1:3-9 "Evererything that goes into a life of pleasing God has been miraculously given to us by getting to know, personally and intimately, the One who invited us to God. The best invitation we ever received! We were also given absolutely terrific promises to pass on to you—your tickets to participation in the life of God after you turned your back on a world corrupted by lust.
So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books."
The thing that sticks out most to me is "don't lose a minute building on what you've been given". It's true! It's like, "don't build your sand castle so far from the water that it takes days to get wet sand for building, but don't build it right on the shore so it gets washed away at high tide." Do you know what I mean? Build a strong Faith and practice living a Christian life, but don't hide it from everyone so they don't get to see it... You know? But also don't "build it on the shore so it gets washed away" which is like, don't build up your Faith weakly so it's taken away quickly. PERSEVERANCE, is the word I think I'm looking for!
Get to know God more and more each day. When I read a scripture one time, and go back to it later I always get something new out of it. I think the phrase You Learn Something New Everyday fits perfectly, because I always am!
I encourage you all to stay faithful to God on your journey.
Love, Torch! :) <3
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Keep your eyes on the finer things!
Oh man! God is good, hey?! Yes, He is. Pushaw. Okay, so pretty much, like I've said before, being a Christian in a public school is difficult sometimes but with God I KNOW I can get through it, because He's bigger than ANY problems that we face! Anyways, these past couple of weeks I've really been focusing on trying to live the life God wants me to, sounds easier than it is! But every time I'm confronted with a problem, I think What Would Jesus Do? It honestly helps so much! Just ask yourself that question every time you're in a situation where you don't know what to do. And pray, but that's a given! I know this is sort of different than what I was just talking about but try to stay away from the stupid fads that come and go with the seasons. They're kind of... pointless? People get excited about one thing for about 3 months, and then are over it! Well I'm excited about something everlasting, eternal!
Focus on things that really matter, I'm not trying to tell you that if you love the newest fashions you're going to Hell and aren't a real Christian, but to me there is no point in loving earthly things just so everyone will accept you as one of their own. Now, this is also not to say I NEVER read a fashion magazine to see what's in, and maybe I'll buy the latest sandal or whatever, just don't make them the center of your life. Our citizenship is in HEAVEN. This is all temporary, my friends, so keep your eyes on the eternal prize!
One of my all time favorite Bible scriptures is Philippians 3:14. It says: "I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."
AHH, I love this! It's an image in my mind, the starting line is the day we find out that Christ is all we need, and through Him, anything is possible. And the finish line, oh, I can only IMAGINE. Golden roads, singing angels, pure beauty and bliss. I picture myself running, running to Jesus when I'm in Heaven and just crashing into His arm, the BIGGEST smile on my face. OH, I can NOT wait.
But until that GLORIOUS day, I'm going to try and keep my eyes on the finer things in life, the things that matter, the things that change a life, the things that make a difference.
My soul is getting restless for the place I belong.
Torch <3
Focus on things that really matter, I'm not trying to tell you that if you love the newest fashions you're going to Hell and aren't a real Christian, but to me there is no point in loving earthly things just so everyone will accept you as one of their own. Now, this is also not to say I NEVER read a fashion magazine to see what's in, and maybe I'll buy the latest sandal or whatever, just don't make them the center of your life. Our citizenship is in HEAVEN. This is all temporary, my friends, so keep your eyes on the eternal prize!
One of my all time favorite Bible scriptures is Philippians 3:14. It says: "I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back."
AHH, I love this! It's an image in my mind, the starting line is the day we find out that Christ is all we need, and through Him, anything is possible. And the finish line, oh, I can only IMAGINE. Golden roads, singing angels, pure beauty and bliss. I picture myself running, running to Jesus when I'm in Heaven and just crashing into His arm, the BIGGEST smile on my face. OH, I can NOT wait.
But until that GLORIOUS day, I'm going to try and keep my eyes on the finer things in life, the things that matter, the things that change a life, the things that make a difference.
My soul is getting restless for the place I belong.
Torch <3
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