R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

R.e.s.p.e.c.t.

 

 

Respect.  I think this is a word that is so often used incorrectly, and is greatly misunderstood.  Teachers, friends, parents; essentially, everyone demands it.  However it becomes a bit of a gray area when those demanding it don’t seem to deserve it.  I, like everyone else, had pre-conceived notions about it.  But rather than rant, let’s check out what the Word says.   

Regarding elders/authority:

Stand up in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God. I am the Lord. Leviticus 19:32

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Regarding parents:

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. Exodus 20:12

Regarding friends/anyone else:

¹⁷ Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:17

The truth: As you can see, the Bible commands respect to everyone.

So perhaps the distortion of this command is all the different definitions to “respect.”  Respect can mean “to honor or admire someone,”  “to be polite in regard to a person,” or even “to avoid violation or interference with.”  Based on what else we can find in the Word, I’ve come to a conclusion.

The truth: God doesn’t expect us to admire those who do sinful things, and we are not expected to support them in their wrong-doings, either.  Rather, we are commanded to treat them with kindness, and honor their authority.  In other words, be polite.  Don’t hop on board if the person is doing something which contradicts the Bible, but be aware that if they are in a position of authority it’s for a reason and you must be kind and regardful to them.   

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. Romans 13:1-7

I think this verse basically sums it up.  We need to respect authority, but must follow what God has commanded over all.  And when elders are contradicting God’s Word, it’s okay to “respectfully” resist ;).  For example, as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did with King Nebuchadnezzar (see Daniel 3.) 

On a final note, I encourage you to put these commands into practice if you haven’t already.  I know I can easily forget/disregard them, and will be working on it as well.  Long story short, God wants us to treat everyone with kindness, and to honor authority.  Were humans, of course authority will mess up sometimes.  In the end the only One who’s really in charge is God.

Until next time,

-       Tamara

Gratefulness

 Gratefulness

 

 

Gratefulness….it’s something we all get sick of hearing about.  It’s something we all think we possess.  It’s something we criticize others with.  But take a moment, and actually check yourself.  When was the last time you genuinely thanked someone for what they did?  When was the last time you recognized all of the gifts you’ve been given? What if you died today, only to wake up the next morning with only the things you thanked God for?  Interesting thought, isn’t it?  Now I know we can’t spend all night going through a long list thanking God for what we have every day, but we can, however, appreciate and acknowledge the gifts we’ve been given.  

The truth: There is always something to be grateful for.

First of all, if you have a roof over your head and food to eat, that’s a gift in itself.  And when in doubt, go to the cross.  God sacrificed His life for you, and would have done it ONLY for you.  Now THAT is something to be thankful for.

John 3:16…’nough said.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

The truth: Taking time to recognize what we do have alters our focus and perspective.

“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” (MSG) Philippians 4:8

The truth: Taking time to give thanks changed me.

Last year, for one month I made it a goal to write one thing down each day that I was thankful for.  Each day I would pray and thank God for each thing on the list.  Now that might sound totally lame to you, but it really opened my eyes to all that I have been given. At least for me, it’s incredibly easy to lose sight of everything God has given me, and I find myself just wanting more stuff.  Taking this challenge not only helped me break away from my natural selfish tendencies, but it also gave me a more positive outlook.  As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog, positive thinking changes everything. 

On a final note, I understand that a lot of times I spend blog posts telling you “why doing these things will be good for you,” but really it’s not about that.  There’s one name to glorify and that’s God.  He’s given you and me so many things, and it’s really the least we can do to acknowledge them!

 I challenge you to try the one month goal.  If you’re anything like me, it will change your perspective big time!

Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-17

-Tamara

Hearing God's Voice: My story

Hearing God’s Voice-My story

 

 

So I’m not entirely sure who all reads this blog, but no matter where you are spiritually you will/have encounter(ed) this “obstacle” at some point [assuming you are a Christian].  I’ll start with my story.  When I was in middle school, I sat in church as I watched my friends pour their hearts out in worship to God.  They seemed so close to him. And I felt so distant. I’ve believed in God my whole life, but at the time I was really struggling with actually hearing God.  I mean, it just didn’t make sense to me.  How could someone just “know God was telling them something.”  Although this may seem totally basic to you, I was sitting in service one day when a simple sentence made things much clearer to me. The statement was “when you spend time reading the Bible, God will speak to you.”  Yeah it seems pretty obvious, but I can only assume I’m not the only one who was sitting there waiting for some sort light to shine down and God to speak.  The fact is, it doesn’t always work that way.

                However, as I continued to read the Word, God brought my attention to many verses which helped me get through struggles, challenged me, and encouraged me.  This simple practice has become an everyday thing and truly changed my life.  In addition, now that I have put the time in to listen to God, he has spoken to me in many other instances.  To describe it to someone who hasn’t experienced this before—it’s not like there’s a light coming down from heaven. For me, I am usually faced with a deep passion that seems unnatural to my own being.  When I allowed myself to become vulnerable to God’s voice, making prayers such as “God use me,” and “Guide me,” I would become overwhelmed with the power, passion, and heart of God. 

                Finally, as I grew closer to God, I began to hear Him in everyday instances.  When you pursue Him, he will speak to you!  You just have to be listening.  Many times it’s easy to get God’s voice confused with your own, but I found that the best way to distinguish it is by 1. Checking how closely it follows God’s word. If it’s not okay in terms of the Bible, then it aint God! 2. Identify the passion/purpose behind it.  Does it sound like something God wants you to do? Do you feel conviction?

I hope that by reading this you have developed a greater understanding of hearing God’s voice.  It can seem incredibly difficult at times, but He’s always talking to you and cares about you more than you know.  If you’ve been discouraged at any point, keep pursuing! I can promise you He will speak! And a good place to start is the Bible; it is the Word of God after all!

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17

All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

³ ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

 

Until next time,

Tamara

Unwrapped

Unwrapped

 

 

The wrapping is flawless, the bow is tied just right, and you’ve gone to present this gift to your friends.  Inevitably, it is to be completely torn apart.  In the end, you and I both know the only thing that matters is the contents of the package; yet we still wrap it and make it look as intriguing as possible. Now take what I just said to you and apply it to yourself.  We, as humans, automatically feel obligated to put on an act; a mask; in order to please the world. I mean, it’s the easy way out right?  Your packaging will be good enough that people won’t judge it, and from the surface they can’t see what’s inside.  Sound like a good deal to you?

Sure, blending in doesn’t really seem like a bad thing, in theory.  I mean, the outcasts are always picked on.  So why would you possibly want to be unique? Why take off the mask when everyone seems to like it just fine?

When we wrap ourselves in a design pleasing to the world, everything becomes uniform.  The unique gifts, talents, and personalities we have been given are over-shadowed and masked, and suddenly there’s nothing so special about you anymore.  So my challenge to you—unwrap the gift.  I don’t know about you, but I love seeing the unique things about each individual.  It’s fascinating to me.  I mean, God created us all so differently (even though there are billions of people in the world.)  There’s really nothing interesting about being like everyone else, and when we try to do so were deliberately avoiding what God has called us to be.

The truth: You have a unique purpose.              

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139: 14-16

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

I’ve said this before, but it still stands true. You have been placed on this world to do something great; something no one else can do.  Maybe it’s something as simple as being a friend to the girl in your class who never seems to get noticed.  Or maybe you are to come up with the cure to cancer…WHO KNOWS! Regardless, you will not achieve these things if your focus is on blending into the crowd and acting like everyone else.

The truth: You can’t make a difference by fading into the background.

To create an impact, you have to step out.  You have to do something different.  Change doesn’t happen when you do what everyone else is doing!

Take Paul, (from the Bible), for example.  He was called by God to be an apostle.  Now just like we must do today, He had to go against the social “norms” in order to fulfill his calling. Although he faced many trials, he made such a great impact. He changed the world and led many to Christ because he was willing to step out and be different; fulfilling God’s calling in his life. Just imagine—what if he decided to just blend into the world and focus on pleasing others? Although you may not be called to missions, you still have a calling.  There’s something about you which is unique, but you must be willing to step out in confidence to create an impact! If you haven’t read much about the story of Paul, I encourage you to read about him in the book of Acts.

The truth: Embracing your calling, and being what you were made to be, (not what the world structured you to be) is HOT.

(yes I just said hot.)

Ever heard a guy/girl say, “Wow, she acts like every other girl I’ve met.  It’s so cute.”   Ever heard someone say, “Wow, I wish I could be just like that Britney Spears impersonator.”  Yeah, I didn’t think so.  Not that it matters to be accepted by society, (we only need to be accepted by God); however people are known to cling to those who stand out.  The things that are special and unique to you are the things that make you great! Why avoid them?!

Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

And on an ending note….

And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever 1 John 2:17

I hope that this post challenges you to unwrap! (No, I’m not saying take your clothes off.)  You have unique gifts, and being like everyone else is boring! I encourage you to chase after your calling, and just be yourself! What have you got to lose?

Until next time,

-Tamara

What do you see?

What do you see?

 

 

Do you look at the glass half full, or half empty? –One of the most irritating questions I think has ever been asked. Alright, let’s be real here guys.  If I were to guess, I’d say most of us have been asked this question before, and would know the “right” answer is half full; then proceed to blurt that out.  Anyway, I’m just going to go ahead and admit; I’m a pessimist.  We’ve all know the spiel about “looking at the bright sight of things,” however the pessimists, like me, maybe think “I don’t want to look at the bright side!”

Now although pessimism can keep us in touch with reality, it can drag us down.  In fact, as I look back, I think my negative ‘tude has dragged me down more than I realized at the time.  Just to give an example, there have been several days where I have awoken from such a beautiful slumber to a demonic alarm blasting in my ears….where it’s easy for me to say “Ugh! This sucks!” Boom. Bad mood is set. And the whole day is to follow.  Seems like such a simple reaction, but it can impact so much more.  When you think about it, pessimism is simply a pity-party and a hindrance from enjoying, fulfilling, and chasing the call on your life. 

What a Negative Outlook Can Do to You:

·         Focus your thoughts on minor conflicts

·         Influence other people’s moods

·         Make your world seem as though it’s falling apart

·         Keep you from enjoying life

What a Positive Outlook Can Do to You:

·         Keep your mind focused on purposeful aspects of life

·         Influence other people’s moods

·          Reiterate the good things in your life

·         Encourage a joyful life

The truth: In the words of my mother, “You have the choice (of how you react)!”

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope Romans 15:13

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it” Charles R. Swindoll

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

In other words, you aint no robot! Nobody “made you mad”, that was your choice of reaction.  When your heart is focused on the purpose, the blessings God has given you, and the big picture, you will find your life to be much more enjoyable.

The truth: A positive outlook precedes joy.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs  17:22

12 ^1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2 (The Message)

^Love that.

Now before I conclude, I want you to understand something.  I’m not implying here that there’s no time for grief, and we need to always have a chipper attitude.  Rather, we must remember the things God has done in our lives.  God never promised happiness, but He did promise joy.  But if you want joy, you must seek it! I encourage you to try and step out of the natural tendencies to think negatively, and re-focus on what is good.  I certainly will be working on this myself!

Until next time…

-Tamara

Did You Hear?

Did You Hear?

 

 

So I’m going to make the assumption that if you are old enough to read this, you have encountered gossip at some point in your life.  And it’s probably safe to assume that you have participated in it at some point, as well.  Now there is a type of gossip that’s okay, but you and I both know when we think “gossip”, were not thinking of praiseworthy, kind words.  So just to clear things up lets go with the dictionary definition:

Gossip: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others; rumor or report of an intimate nature

So whether the “gossip” is fictional or true, it is still supposedly revealing of intimate and personal information regarding someone else.  Now I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sure if I tell someone something very personal, I don’t want them to go and blab it to the world.

So guys…I was originally going to discuss the impact of gossip; but let’s be real; you and I have both had that drilled into our brains since we were kids.  Long story short, gossip hurts others, and it hurts you too! It destroys trust. It destroys friendships. It destroys confidence. It destroys us. It’s not worth the pain.  Moving on to what moved me…

The truth: Gossip is rooted in the heart.

Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks with deceit.  With his mouth each speaks cordially to his neighbor, but in his heart he sets a trap for him. Jeremiah 9:8

For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks Luke 6:45

This scripture was the biggest reality check for me, because in this context, it really made me question my method to stopping the gossip.  Sure, we can say we’ll stop, but it won’t truly end until we get to the root of the problem; the heart. When we have low opinions and judgments of others, our heart is numbed by our resentment towards them, causing us to be careless in our speech about them. Rather, we must look at them through “God’s eyes” and see the good things in them [even if that may be difficult] ;). I’ve spent a lot of time in my day trying to control my mouth, but maybe what I’ve been missing is that I need to control my heart.

Something to think about….

-Tamara

Romeo Meets Juliet

Romeo meets Juliet

Perhaps this post caught your eye because you’re looking for that Romeo/Juliet.  Or perhaps, you may have already found them.  I’m going to be honest, I was seriously considering writing a generic post about how “everyone has a desire to be with someone” and “waiting is key”, but hey; why not be real with you.  As I’ve gone through high school, I’ve often found myself wondering what my future holds.  This goes for countless aspects of life, one of which includes whom I will marry.  I think where many go wrong, however, is making it some sort of wild search to find “the one”.  As I began to read my Bible more and more, however, I realized the prominent importance of my relationship with God, and the diminishing importance of trying to find the right guy.  Now I’m certainly not suggesting you throw away any hopes of marrying someone, but I’ve come to realize that putting God first really puts everything in life in place.

Let me explain to you what I mean—

From my personal experience, when I prioritize God, I tend to worry a lot less.  Look, God even says…
"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8-10

The truth: When your number one priority is God, he will take care of you and provide you with the things you need.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose Romans 8:28

In addition to this, I have also learned that trust and patience are way more rewarding than settling for what is currently at our fingertips.  I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen a girl or guy get into a relationship, just for the sake of being in a relationship, then it all ended in heartbreak.  Seems kind of pointless to do that to yourself, you know?  Now obviously we may encounter some relationships that seemed promising, then unfortunately end…However placing trust and patience in God for the right person is well worth the wait.  In addition, when you face those break-ups, it won’t feel so heartbreaking because you have not become dependent on the person.  Rather, dependent on God.

The truth: God knows exactly what you need, sometimes a lot better than we know, ourselves.

So maybe what you’ve thought you needed all this time was a boyfriend/girlfriend, when in reality you need someone to carry your burdens, and love you far more than any human can.  A spouse/significant other does not have the capability or responsibility for your emotional baggage.  I feel like learning this is a big step in preparation to having a relationship with someone.  We need to learn to become reliant on God in order to be ready for a stable relationship.

Finally, God wants to bless you. And when you’re ready, that might mean Romeo can finally meet Juliet.

Ight, this is getting a bit sappy for me, but hey, “it’s a human desire”, right?

The truth: God designed us for relationships, and he loves blessing his children!

It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a helper suitable for him. Genesis 2:18

A faithful man will be richly blessed Proverbs 28:20 (part 1)

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God. (if you continue reading, it lists several blessings) Deuteronomy 28:1-3

So hang in there lovebirds, God’s got a plan for you.  We just need to remember that God is priority, and a boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife is simply a gift he gives us to coincide with our relationship with Him.  Hopefully you got something out of this.  Enough sap for me…

-Tamara

You were made for MORE than this

You were made MORE for than this

 

 

I’ve seen you in the hallways.  I’ve looked beyond the mask.  There’s pain beneath the smile, there’s more than what you ask. It hurts me so deeply to see the pain you face. You were made to live for so much more. That’s why He saved us by grace. You are called to a purpose, although you may not see.  There’s something so much deeper, inside of you and me. 

As I walk on by day in and day out, there are so many people I encounter; wishing they knew even a morsel of their worth.  This post is ultimately for recognition to the fact that everyone is all called to a unique purpose.  So many people make the mistake of allowing the world to define them by accepting the labels placed on them, believing the lie that they are “worthless”, “a waste of time”, “a joke”, etc.  When in reality, it’s merely the opposite.  I mean, if you were worthless, why would you be here in the first place?

The truth: You were created uniquely for a definitive purpose.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

I think it’s one of the most devastating things to see when an individual has so much potential, and they simply throw it all away. 

It’s time we start raising the bar and realizing the gifts we have, rather than acting on the labels we’ve been given.

The truth: The potential we have is our responsibility to develop.

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. Psalm 138:8 [basically, God made us with talents unique to each individual; don’t waste them!]

Just to give a few practical examples…

Did Michael Jordan become a pro basketball player by sitting around on the couch?

Did Justin Bieber become a world-wide pop singer by waking up one day and saying, “Hey, I think I’ll be a singer”?

Did the soldier fighting in Afghanistan save lives by waltzing over there, completely unprepared?

…I didn’t think so.  My point is, all these individuals had gifts; but they had to develop them.  It’s odd that so many people view themselves as worthless, when, in fact, they have been given the ability to make such a great impact.

And finally…

The truth: We need you.

The labels you’ve been given-- guess what? They don’t define you. The truth is, whether you realize it or not, you are here for a reason and somewhere, somehow along the way, you are the only solution to a problem.  Whether you are meant to be a singer, a lawyer, a manager, or a chef; you are here for a reason.   

God has called you to a purpose.

“So it is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:11

“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” 1 John 1:3

God made you.  He gave you a purpose.  Only you can fulfill that purpose. 

-Tamara

When the World is Crashing Down

When the World is Crashing Down

 

 

This post goes specifically out to those who are going through a rough time right now, but it’s something we should all be reminded of, regardless.  So if you happen to lie in the first category, I’m assuming you have one simple question on your mind.

Why?

Why is all this happening to me?  What is the purpose?

Being human, it sure can be difficult to understand why we must face things that hurt us so deeply.  Thus, it’s easy to get mad at God. 

A verse I come back to time, and time again has helped me so many times to pull myself back up.

“I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in his time.” Ecclesiastes 3:10

Yes, after sin “entered the world”, God allowed us to face pain and suffering, but his promise remains the same.  I love this verse so much because it simply proclaims his power and care for each and every one of us. 

Truth:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

He gives power to the weak
and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired,
and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:29-31

One more ;)

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

Taking in to account all of these verses, no matter what we are going through there is something we have to look forward to.  When the world seems to be crashing down, it’s hard to understand why.  In fact, we may never see the full purpose.  However, God has a plan for your life and he cares about you. The struggle you’re facing may be too big for you, and it may be too big for me, but I can tell you that it’s not too big for God, and that his promise isn’t called a promise for nothing. I’ll be praying for those who are in this situation; and I hope that His word encourages you. 

Until next time…

-Tamara