Day 5: Feeling unheard

So I haven't been on in a looooooooooong time mostly because of school, broken bones, and just life, but hopefully I will be back now. I will explain all that happened in another post, but for now, let's move on to the day number 5.

When you feel unheard, choose to believe that He's listening. Psalm 116:2 says, "Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!"

Wow, I should have read that verse a long time ago. As friendships start to break apart, it often feels like I have no one to talk to. No one to listen. But God is there all along waiting for me to talk! For me to pray to him! I struggle with not having time to read His Word and listen to His voice, and it gets harder and harder as I don't read the Bible, to pray. So basically, this feeling of being unheard could all go away if I would only take the time to listen to Him, to pray to Him.

It can be sooo hard though. This last year has been really hard for me. School has been so rough and my parents and I were even thinking of sending me to public school next year. It was also hard seeing a lot of my friends get girlfriends and boyfriends and not being able to spend time with them anymore. Stress levels were high, and to top it off, some people at a co-op I used to go to were being hateful. It was just so hard to keep on going. I would struggle with my relationships with family members and friends and said a lot of wrong things. I was really hurting. The deep root of the problem was that I had been falling away from God. That is the main reason I have been gone so long to speak the truth.

Through this whole experience I have learned a lot. I really should have turned to God as soon as it got hard. I should have turned to God throughout the year, instead of only when life was good. I know I am not the only one out there who will/has face(d) this problem. Please don't be like me. If it hard to find time to read the Bible, try getting up earlier or beg your parents to stay up later. But don't use that time to read maybe a verse or two and go back to school. Really dive into His Word. Take up your prayers to Him, the one who will always hear you, will always love you.

One thing that has really encouraged me this year is the song, "Shoulders", by For King and Country. When I first heard the song, I thought about the Psalm it comes from Psalm 121, "I lift up my eyes to the hills, from where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth."

Day 4: Feeling Unseen

When you feel unseen, choose to believe He knows your needs. Genesis 16: 13, "Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the LORD, who had spoken to her. 'You are the God who sees me.' She also said, 'Have I truly seen the One who sees me?'

Have you ever carried something really heavy through a room full of people and no one offered to help you? How did that make you feel? It made you feel invisible, unseen, uncared for.

Have you ever gotten hurt in a soccer game and the referee wanted to take you out, but you insisted you wanted to stay in, and did? And when you got to the bench, the coach didn't even see that you got hurt? That happened to me once and it felt terrible, even worse than my swollen face!

We all want to be seen. Everyone wants to feel seen. This can turn into pride as we seek the center of attention. But feeling invisible is pretty tough. Can I encourage you to, when in these moments, think about the verse above? Also, think about how much your God has loved you and sees you at all times, both when you want Him to, and when you'd rather He didn't. God loves you no matter what.

Day 3: Feeling alone

As homeschoolers, it is kind of hard to socialize with other people. I played soccer last year and the years prior, but since I am taking the season off, I am really only going to three things: youth group, co-op, and church. It can be hard to feel like you have a lot of friends when you are in a room alone. So, today's topic is the feeling of aloneness.

When you feel alone, choose to believe He'll never leave you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, "It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."

I have never had a boyfriend, but I have seen the pain in my friends' faces as they go about life after a break-up. I have seen it get even harder when a mutual friend started dating the person they had been dating. I have sensed a huge feeling of aloneness about them as they go about their everyday life. If you have ever broken up with someone, I think you can agree with my friends' feelings. It's hard. Part of the reason I am not allowed to date till I'm 18.

When you feel alone, don't lock yourself in. Don't let those thoughts of, "Nobody loves me," go through your mind. God loves you. He will never leave you. If you feel like someone is struggling with this aloneness disease, go to them. Talk with them and comfort them. Even if you don't want to be friends, give them the feeling that they are being heard.

I am shy. REALLY shy. When I see people at youth group, I feel really awkward. But some people will always go to me. They will greet me and ask me how my week has been. They make me feel heard.

Take the time to make someone feel heard.  Even if you are struggling with feeling alone yourself, I am sure you can find someone else struggling too. Maybe you will be able to encourage each other. Remember, God will never leave you. Even if you move far away and lose all your friends, God is still there. He will never leave you or forsake you.

Day 2: Feeling Weary

So, I am dead tired and Number 2 on my list is feeling weary so here goes.

When you feel weary, choose to believe He's good. Psalm 100:5 says, "For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

Do you guys ever feel tired? I mean so tired you can't keep your eyes open much longer. If you answer like yeah! Every day of my life, girl! Get out. Just go...I am just teasing. But I get tired a lot. And not just physically tired, oh no. But emotionally tired. Like, I don't know how much longer I can go on. School is tough. Life is hard. And feeling like that is just hard. Don't do that to yourself!

God is good. Everything is going to be ok. I am not saying that because life is easy for me ok, it's not. At all. You wouldn't believe how many times I have sat in my bed and cried. Mom would come in and say, " Everything is going to be ok." And I am like, "It's not! I'll never survive high school!" Well I survived that week. I survived last week. God has a plan for me and a plan for you. And when you are feeling down like that, remember God is good!

And by the way, I will be coming back to this post next week and probably being like, wow. What a hypocrite. But I need to believe these words. I need to TRUST God. He is there. Take time to talk to Him today.

Day 1: Feeling Scared

Like I said yesterday, I am going to take one Bible verse and talk about it. The first verse is about feeling scared.
When you feel scared, choose to believe He's in control. Psalm 27:1 says, "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"

Boy have I been needing that lately.

It is hard not to be scared! I mean, right now I am in my Junior year of high school. I will graduate next spring. I am not ready for that. But, like it said, I need to believe He's in control.

Whether you are afraid of your parents' impending divorce, the things going on around the world, about an upcoming due date, leave it all in God's hands. He is in control.

I want to tell you guys a story. My Dad was driving down towards Target a couple weeks ago and was slammed in the back by another car. The lady who hit him went on and hit three other people. That night was so scary. But Dad escaped from his severely totalled car with only whiplash and a ruptured sac in his elbow. He is getting better slowly but surely. That night, God gave me peace because I left Dad's car accident in his hands. Otherwise, I would have been crying and running around the house like my other siblings. Guys, God will give you that peace if you just leave it to Him. He will listen. He understands.

I am really hoping that over the next few weeks, I will be able to minister to some of you. You guys have created for me a mission field, and I am thankful for that. Through sharing with you, I have learned a lot more about God, and His sovereignty. Thank you guys for that.

I hope you guys have a wonderful day in your part of this world. In mine, it is cloudy and rainy, but I hope some of you are enjoying a beautiful spot of sun. We had some the other day. Boy did that feel good.

Well, I have got to go, but I hope you guys have a good day knowing that GOD IS IN CONTROL.

This Past Week

Well, this past week has been pretty stressful.
But then again, aren't all weeks?
I mean seriously, how often do we have a week where everything is totally chill and we just sit and relax?
Ok, if you say vacation week, go on a vacation. You'll see how stressful even that is.
I've got to say. I procrastinated in one of my classes and ended up STRESSED OUT OF MY MIND!!!!
And it just so happened that that class had a paper due...

Well, I digress. Who all is getting Mockingjay: Part 1 this weekend??? I am sooo excited to show it to my Mom. And see it again. I missed about 20 minutes of it because I went outside to see my youth group. So now I get to see those scenes for the first time!!!! Alright Hunger haters, come back, I´m done now.

My Mom sent me a really cool sheet. It is called: 25 Scriptures to Help Fight off the Lies. I think I am going to create 25 blog posts taking one of those Scripture verses per blog post. Starting tomorrow. I am too tired tonight. But it is really cool and really helped me when I was stressed out.

So my green eye is getting real big tonight. Peter Hollens is playing at Carnegie Hall. With. The Piano Guys. And other people. :( Oh well, a happy birthday shout out to Peter Hollens! And I will satisfy myself reading that verse on the sheet Mom gave me.

I have been studying Civil War in history for a couple weeks now. We will be watching the movie Lincoln soon, but are focusing on documentaries at the moment. It has been really sad reading about all of that. I read a story of a Union soldier capturing a Confederate, only to find it was his brother. And another man killing a man only to find out it was their father. I wonder how the mother´s felt, with her sons fighting each other on opposing sides?

I have to go because I have a Spanish session and then a Financial Peace thing with mi padre. But, I will see you guys tomorrow!
Seriously though.
I am coming back.

At the Cross

I don't really have time to write anything today, but I did want to share something with all of you. There is this song that I want you to hear. Not just hearing the music, but listening to the words. The song is At the Cross by Chris Tomlin. Below are the lyrics. These lyrics have such strong meaning and really encourage me.
"At The Cross"

There's a place where mercy reigns and never dies,
There's a place where streams of grace flow deep and wide.
Where all the love I've ever found,
Comes like a flood,
Comes flowing down.

[Chorus:]
At the cross
At the cross
I surrender my life.
I'm in awe of You
I'm in awe of You
Where Your love ran red
and my sin washed white.
I owe all to You
I owe all to You Jesus.

There's a place where sin and shame are powerless.
Where my heart has peace with God and forgiveness.
Where all the love I've ever found.
Comes like a flood,
Comes flowing down.

[Chorus]

Here my hope is found
Here on holy ground
Here I bow down
Here arms open wide
Here You save my life
Here I bow down
Here I bow down

[Chorus]