Walking with Jesus

John 11: 23-27 says.. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" Yes, Lord, "she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world." Romans 3:22-26 says.. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his ...

God's light gives us the strength to soar like eagles. Isaiah 40:28-31 says.. Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. God's strength gives us the energy to be strong in everything we do.  His power is everlasting upon our souls. Dear God, Your love rises up within our hearts, which allows us to soar like eagles. Thank you for lifting us up when we fall.  I pray we continue to grow stronger with you everyday.  I pray all these things in Your awesome name.  Amen. Soar by Meredith Andrews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WiAv9Egh...

Are you living in the darkness or the light? 1 John 1:5 says.. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 2: 8-11 says.. Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. Dear God, I just pray you lead us through darkness to the light.  You are the light that carries us to live our life for you.  By faith you gives us grace.  Please allow your light to be the brightest in our storms because you are our lighthouse. I pray all these things in Your awesome name.  Am...

So something really cool happened to me this evening.  While, I met a friend of mine for dinner I asked her about her go to Christian song right now.  She mentioned O Come to the Alter.  As soon as we were done eating, we opened our Bibles to do our own devotion. I opened my Bible to 1 John because I finished 2 Peters last time we met. 1 John 1:1-4 says.. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched - this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and his appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. These verses gave me a connection to the lyrics of the song. Then, this song was ...

I believe I can say we all go through temptations.  Temptations are things we think about doing, but may not actually do them.  They are things that we know are not good or they can be things God would be disappointed in us about.  Am I right? I have good days, and I also have bad days.  Sometimes it's easy to recognize temptation and other times we cannot see it. James 1:2-8 says.. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded ma...

Do you have that one place where you go and feel God's presence right away?  Well, that place for me is a place where I am completely surrounded by nature.  I enjoy seeing all the beautiful things God has created.  I also like to be silent, but I listen to the breeze and animals that are nearby. I think nature is a good place to reflect on all the wonderful things God provides us with. Genesis 1:10 says.. God called the dry ground "land," and the gathered waters he called "seas." And God saw that it was good. Psalm 19:1 says.. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. It is still so amazing to be that God created everything.  It is just so mind blowing to me.  But I cannot deny how awesome it is. I challenge you to think about where you feel God's presence the most. While I was home for winter break from college my parents and I had a movie night.  We watched the movie War Room, and it is a Christian movie...

Happy Monday! God is refining us into diamonds.  He is making our stories perfect through his eyes.  Isn't that awesome? Zechariah 9:16 says.. The Lord their God will save them on that day as the flock of his people. They will sparkle in his land like jewels in a crown. It is amazing how much God loves us even though we sin over and over.  We must always remember to forgive our sins.  He is the way and the light of the world. Dear God, I thank you that you see us as perfect diamonds.  I pray you continue to lead us through the dark.  Please be with us as we continue to live our lives for you.  I pray all these things in Your awesome name. Diamonds by Hawk Nelson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf1ARbpB0gA

God starts a fire in our hearts, so we have a story.  May it be a story full of love, grace, difficulty, adversity, forgiveness, and hope.  Each one of us has a story to tell.  I believe I haven't discovered my story quite yet, but I have faith God has a great adventure for me. Psalm 105:1-5 says.. Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory is his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced, God knows our calling, but he won't make it happen until he knows we are ready for it. I pray I am ready for it whenever that might be.  Are you ready for it if it happened tomorrow? Dear God, I just pray you continue to dwell in our hearts.  We strive to acknowledge you in every...

Today I went for a drive, and the very first song on the radio was Holy Spirit.  It's same song that was the theme of my blog post yesterday.  Ironic?  I don't think so. Now that we established that the Holy Spirit lives in us, we can discuss how God starts a fire in our hearts.  He has planted his love in our hearts, so we may glorify him in everything we do. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 says.. Do not put out the Spirit's fire. We must hold on to the good, but avoid the evil.  We should not fill our hearts with negative thoughts.  It's God who preserves us.  The more effort you put in to desire God's love, then the more you will see him use you as a blessing towards others.  Effort is key to continue a growing relationship with him. Dear God, I pray you continue to grow a fire in our hearts for your mercy.  It is you who knows the direction for our future.  We must trust that you are working in our hearts for your purpose fo...

The internet (AKA "wifi") has been down all day on campus, so my blog comes to you tonight via iPhone! What would we do without our phones? Although, sometimes it's nice to take time away from technology and enjoy the presence. For example, take more time to engage in personal conversations with friends and forgot about social media drama. But there is something that never goes away. The Holy Spirit is not temporary. God is always there cheering us on. We may not always feel His presence, but it is definitely there.  Roman 8:26-27 says.. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. The Holy Spirit lives in our hearts. It is what makes us feel whole and complete. It works in our hearts and shapes us ...

It has been a week since I started my blog.  Can you believe it? Sometimes it is hard to be strong in your faith.  Some people (non-religious people) do not understand that us (Christians) go through struggles everyday.  We have good days, but we also have bad days.  But it is God by our side that makes it easier to get through difficult situations. 1 Peter 4: 12-19 says.. Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgment to be...

Woman..do you know how much you are worth?  God teaches us that we are priceless.  We should always be respected and especially by men. God tells us this in Proverbs 3:15 She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her. He also says in Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Remember to not chase the guy, but know God will place the right guy in your life when he knows you are ready.  Learn to be patient because God is going to bless you with the right guy when it is on his time and not your own.  His plan for you is better than any plan you could ever give yourself. I wear my For King & Country necklace everyday to remind me that I am priceless.  It is an Australian coin along with the band's crest.  Here is the website where you can read more about the product. http://store.forkingandcountry.com/australian...

So we all know what holiday was yesterday, right?  If you guessed Valentine's Day, then you are correct.  Now I have another question for you.  What does love mean?  According to dictionary.com love is defined as a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.  What is God's love? 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 says.. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God's love is never failing.  He adores us every day, every hour, every minute, and every second.  His love is perfect.  Even when we do not feel it sometimes, it is definitely there. He was my valentine.  He is the only person I can truly depend on.  I know he will never fail to disappoint m...

Do you know we are not home yet?  Right now we are living a temporary life.  When we die, our souls will go to Heaven and we will be with The Lord.  We will live forever with Him.  Isn't that awesome?  It is so incredible to wrap our minds around this idea.  The Bible tells us these things. Hebrews 13:14 For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Romans 1:6 And you also are coming those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. Romans 14:8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. We will one day all be together in Heaven.  Just imagine this life but 100% times better.  Life can't get any better than that, right? Remember Sunday is the day of rest, so you will not be hearing from me.  Although, still take time to worship the Lord. Dear God, We are so blessed that we get to spend eternal life with you. ...

What a day it has been?! It was definitely a little crazy.  From being late for class, major technological difficulties, and figuring out I lost my prayer journal..it has been a little rough!  But hey, it's the weekend! Grant it these are small things, but when we go through obstacles it can be hard to see the good in things.  While, I was doing my reading yesterday a particular verse in Hebrews stuck out to me.   12:2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This verse automatically reminded me of the contemporary Christian song Fix My Eyes.  If you haven't noticed yet, that has been my theme for my posts. ** HINT HINT** I thoroughly enjoy listening to these songs.  They put me in a good mood, and they also fix my eyes onto God.  It is crucial to remember everything we do should be focus...

Do you ever wonder that you are not good enough for God's grace?  Well, we are human (obviously) and think these crazy things.  God forgives and forgets our past when we confess our sins to Him.  But in order for this to occur, we must put complete trust and confidence in Him that he will make our path straight.  God puts us through challenges and obstacles for His purpose.  He does this to strengthen our faith in Him and to also establish a stronger relationship.  He is the reason we stand here today, so we have to do our part in loving Him no matter where He takes us in life. This afternoon I continued to read and finished the book of Hebrews, and these verses stood out to me. 10:17 "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists ...

Good Evening!!! Hello my name is Allison, and I have challenged myself to write a daily blog.  I hope some of you take the short amount of time with me to reflect on God's great love for us. Today, I met a special friend at Starbucks.  We get together every Wednesday afternoon for coffee and take time to grow in our faith by reading our Bibles.  I was reading the book of Hebrews and journaling when I got the idea that my thoughts might also encourage others to continue to grow in their faith as well. What better way to do this than start a blog, right? Well, here goes blog post # 1 I admit I occasionally struggle with how much God truly loves me.  It is difficult to fathom how much love He has for every single one of us.  Even with this battle, God has known me before I ever existed on Earth.  He knows exactly what my future entails.  He knows my tomorrow, my life five years from now, my life twenty-five years from now, and the time I get to me...