Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Buffering-- Please Wait

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Buffering. Don’t you just hate that? I mean, I know my phone and computer are both really old compared to this fancy shmancy stuff now, but if I want to watch a video, I don’t want to have to wait for it to buffer! It drives me crazy! (Yes, this goes back to the whole patience issue I have.) I decided to look up the definition of buffering in an attempt to figure out exactly what it was. It was quite a task, mind you, being as how the traditional dictionary didn’t have the tech-y version I was (apparently) looking for. Go figure. Anywho, I discovered that “buffering refers to downloading a certain amount of data before starting to play the music or movie. Having an advance supply of audio samples or video frames in memory at all times prevents disruption if there are momentary delays in transmission while the material is being played.” [1]  

Now, I’m no tech genius by ANY stretch of the imagination. Most of this is over my head already. Just the fact that I found the pcmag website thrilled me, to be honest. Keep up with me here though.  To butcher that definition a bit, it seems to me that before we can ‘play’ any type of audio/visual wonder the device must first download portions of it. Apparently it does this to make the playing back of that item go smoother. It also helps to continue the playback if your signal is disturbed for any reason. So you download it, to use it, in case something happens, that interrupts your using it. Got it? Oh, by the way some devices do this faster than others apparently. :/

To quote a statement that I made the other day, “My life is like a loading screen…It’s still buffering.” Now this proclamation made my mom laugh, and I even ended up posting it as a humorous status update, but think about it for just a moment. You’re reading this, my blog, most likely because you’re waiting for something or someone like I am. You, too, have a loading screen-like life; if you will. Sometimes I picture my life like one of my brother’s video games. He tells me that there is a great game coming, but that screen is still flashing “Loading-Please Wait.”

Still with me? Good. Now’s where my crazy thought process comes in. My life and yours is in this buffering phase. We’re buffering! We are waiting for The Lord to play that amazing music video (or action GIF, if you’d rather) that will make up the next part of our lives, but before we get to witness His awesome image quality, we need to go through a little buffering of our own…

We Gotta Download God’s Data

Just listen to my jargon, won’t ya?! Seriously though, before we can begin to see the big picture of what God wants for and from us, we first have to connect with Him. We need to DAILY be in His Scriptures- absorbing His literal Word.  We need to have constant, fluid, communication with Him. We gotta pray! Not only do we need to present our requests and lay our situations before Him, but we also have to confess our shortcomings (sins), uplift the needs of others, thank Him for the blessings, and just praise Him for Who He is and what He’s done. We need to be like dry sponges thrown into the vat of Living Water; soaking up everything that is of Him- His Words, His character, His commands, His passions, His message.

Let’s Sum It Up

I’ve noticed that God seems to work in one of two ways. He’ll either throw you into the midst of something and you just need to trust Him while doggy-paddling or He’ll make you wait and wait AND WAIT until He reveals pieces of His plan to you. The latter is the phase that I’m in right now. I’m just focusing on Him, filling my soul with His Word. I’m basically “downloading” God into my life.  

Once we are focused only on Him, He will ‘push play’ on our life. (so to speak…) This may be a short period of time or it may seem to take forever; just remember that we serve a sovereign God. Eventually though, all the time that we put in actively waiting WILL come to fruition. We WILL get to see Him at work in our life. He WILL prepare our path. He promises all that to those who are faithful.  [Deuteronomy 31:8]  [Jerimiah 29:11] [Ecclesiastes 3:11] [Matthew 24:12-13]


I’ll leave you one more thought as I close. The definition of buffering told us that it downloaded the data in case anything was to disrupt the stream. Well… What if God is putting you and I through this watching and waiting period so that in the future, if we were to ever get side-tracked or forgetful, we could recall this time of focusing- this time of downloading- to keep us going and get back on track? 

Friday, January 22, 2016

Where Are We?

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My heart truly grieves tonight. 

It was on this day, 43 years ago, that our nation decided that its own didn't matter. It was on this day that we determined the lives  of almost 100 Million babies weren't worth our trouble. We, as adult citizens of the One Nation Under God, revoked our responsibility to love and protect the unborn. We, the free, dressed up as judge and stripped the powerless of their freedom- their right to live. 

Today, 43 years later, there are those who celebrate this nauseating blood-pool that stains our history. Today there are those who applaud the leaders of this horrific crime.Today there are those who blatantly and without shame lied to the faces of countless terrified young women and their just-as-scared young men in order to grow the number of murdered children under their repertoire. Except it wasn't just today. It wasn't just yesterday, either. This has been happening everyday, into the night, legally, for the past 43 years. And you know what? It'll happen tomorrow too, and the day after that. 

Why has it lasted this long? Why has such hatred, such lies, such outright and celebrated murder been allowed to go on this long- and become increasingly popular? Because the believers in Love; The believers in Life; The believers in the One True King- Christ- and His way of salvation haven't done anything about it. We have turned our back on those who aren't even able to cry out for help yet in the name of not "offending someone" who has already been born. Go figure. 

Sure, we hold signs. Sure, we donate to centers. Sure, we "pray to end abortion"; but we haven't really *done* anything. If we, as the living body of Christ, were to unite and stand together in protest of this sin, God would happen. 

He tells us that:

"If My People, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their Wicked Ways THEN I WILL hear from heaven AND forgives their sins AND heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14

You see, the Bible doesn't tell us that the nonbeliever have to pray and repent. It tells us that WE, His people, have that responsibility. We should be on our knees begging forgiveness. With tears streaming down our cheeks we should be seeking His face. 

Where are we?

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

I'm Lookin' For A List-Fitter...

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Breaking News- Stop the presses! Hold the phones! Console your trembling puppies! I want a man.

BUT not just any man. 

I've always been told that I have very high standards when it comes to what I want in a future husband. Maybe you have too; and even if no one has specifically said it, you probably can relate. That's a good thing. The man that one day you will promise to "love, honor, and cherish till death do you part" is not someone to consider lightly- not something to just settle on. However, it's one thing to say you have high standards, and another thing entirely to actually mean it. 

Ladies, it's time we get specific!

I'm going to share with you a small piece of my own personal journal to help illustrate what I mean, this will literally be a direct quote from my own prayer and searching. 

So, here goes... something? 


  • I want a man who loves me fully, but always loves our Lord more.
  • I want a man who doesn't just read his Bible, but also hides it in his heart.
  • I want a man who not only stores up Scripture, but also is able to wield it in the face of temptation and attack.
  • I want a man who not only will worship with hands raised during a powerful song, but also with have a spirit of worship in the quiet day-to-day life.
  • I want a man who will sing "Blessed Be You Name" during the times "that are plentiful", but also will honestly cry "I will praise You in this storm" during the hard ones.
  • I want a man who isn't just seen praying out loud in public, but also is on his knees in unrecognized quiet.
  • I want a man who not only prays for me, but also prays over me.
  • I want a man who not only opens my mind to his ideas and thoughts, but also opens his to mine.
  • I want a man who will be tender and loving to our children, but also will refuse to "spare the rod."
  • I want a man who is tough, level-headed, and a protector, but also is able to be sensitive to my fears and emotions.
  • I want a man who doesn't just open doors for me, but also guides me away as they close.
  • I want a man who loves and respects his mother, but also is able to "leave and cleave" to me alone.
  • I want a man who not only allows me to hold his hand, but also wants to hold mine.
Now this, by no means, is a completed list. It's merely the first 2 pages. I encourage you, fellow young women, to create a list of your own. You can tell from my list that it has a good mix of both spiritual attributes and physical qualities; and that's how it should be, I believe. Go for it. Take your time. PRAY OVER IT. PRAY AS YOU WRITE IT. 

The same goes for you, young men. Make a list for what you would want in a wife. Not only will it challenge you now, it will also be a reference point for the future when you're seeking out that potential woman.

One More Thing:

Whether you're a lady or a gent, I urge you to make your list based on God's Word. Anything without God will fail. Search Scripture for what qualities a godly husband or wife should possess and write those down. Remember, as you get specific with your standards for your future spouse, God is already preparing a person who not only meets those, but who is also looking for someone who meets theirs. Align yourself with God and He'll make you someone's list-fitter. :) 

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
[Matthew 6:33 NIV]

What would you add to my list? Guys, what are some things that you'd put on yours?p

Friday, January 8, 2016

What's Wrong With The Old You?

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So, the New Year is like a week old already and yet people are still hanging on to that “New Year, New You” bandwagon.  You dedicated last year to getting fit, staying active, and eating healthier. You wrote inspirational quotes on notecards and taped them all around your house. You ‘unfriended’ those people that sucked the life and happiness out of your life. You tried really hard to be a nicer person and to control that one area that always seems to trip you up. Overall, last year’s resolutions turned out great. Why, then, does everyone keep pushing all that stuff down your throat? Since you did so well last year, can’t you just “Keep-on Keepin-on” with the old you? 

Being that it is a new year, I really want to jump back and just cover the basics for a bit. While you’re getting to know me through these posts, I still don’t know anything about you. To the coding of this site, you’re just another number; just another notification that someone viewed my blog. However, to me and, most importantly, to The Lord, know that you are worth so much more; because He’s told us so. That’s why I want to take this- my first post of the new year- as an opportunity to share with you the gospel that I talk so much about throughout my posts. Even if you already know what I’m about to say, I ask that you stick it out and bear with me here. It couldn’t hurt, right?

I’m gonna keep this simple. There’s no reason for fluff and niceties between friends, right?

The fact of the matter is that the whole Gospel can be summed up in this: Christ stripped each of us of our sins and wore them himself. He bore the death penalty; once and for all. Through His resurrection, He defeated the enemy- Satan- and bridged the gap between us and God. [1 Peter 2:24]

You See…

 God created people to glorify Him.

He created us to have a personal relationship with Him.

He didn’t, however, want a bunch of mindless robots. So He gave us free choice.

He gave us the ability to make our own decisions; namely, the ability to choose whether to accept Him or reject Him.

With that free choice, people chose sin.  [Romans 3:23]

The only penalty for sin is death. [Romans 3:23]
        This fact isn’t cruel or heartless. This fact doesn’t change just how much God loves us.

What this fact does do, though, is it proves just how holy God is.

He is so holy that even the tiniest bit of anger or the first unkind thought is more than enough to create a massive chasm between God and us.

Thanks to Adam (The first man created and the first man to sin), each of us are born into sin. [1 Corinthians 15:22]

We don’t actually have to do anything wrong to be a sinner. That first sin cursed every person ever conceived by man.

We, as sinners, are each sentenced to death; Death via eternal separation from God in hell. [Luke 13:5]

How can a loving God send people to hell? He doesn’t.

People choose it.

How do people choose hell?

They reject Christ crucified. 
     They refuse the fact that Christ died in their place. They reject His free gift of salvation. They make a physical choice to continue in their sin forever. [John 3:36]

Every person is faced with this same choice at some point in their lives.

Your time is now. 

     You’ve heard the gospel. I just told it to you. You have no excuse anymore. This may be your first chance; it may be your last chance.

If you choose right now to reject Christ, then nothing more I say can help you. You’ve doomed yourself.

BUT

If you choose right now to accept Christ’s free gift of salvation, keep reading.

It’s at this point where many would lead you through the “sinner’s prayer” (or something of the sort). I’m not going to do that. The Bible never tells us a list of magic words to say that earn us salvation. It does, however, tell us this:

“He (an unsaved sinner just like you and I all once were) then asked, “What must I do to be saved?” The reply was: “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you WILL BE SAVED.” (Acts 16:31)

Also This:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus IS Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you WILL BE SAVED. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified (pronounced innocent of sin), and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Easy as that. You just agree with God that you are, inherently and willingly, a sinner (you both were born with the nature and have chosen to sin on your own), and ask Him to forgive you of that- accepting Christ’s gift of salvation.  It’s at this point that He will fill you with the Holy Spirit and transform you into a new creation. [2 Corinthians 5:17]

So what’s wrong with the old you?

That’s just it; it’s old; and I’m not talking about your diet, lifestyle, fitness program or beauty processes. In comparison with whether you are saved or not, all of that stuff is just worthless nonsense. Don’t allow yourself to feel comfortable in the old. 

As believers, there’s always room for reevaluation, so we should never be content in the same-old-same.

If you aren’t a believer at all, then you’re a lost soul. You need to seriously take into consideration what I’ve just said; not because I said anything special, but because your eternity with or without God hangs in the balance. I’ll be praying for you.

If you just accepted that free gift of salvation, all of heaven rejoices with you as a new creation in Christ; a new You! Congratulations, my friend! Even if we never meet here on this earth, I can’t wait to meet you in heaven.


Well. Don’t stop now! Go on and work towards an even better version of that NEW YOU! Read God’s Word. Spend time with Him in prayer. Seek out other believers to fellowship with and learn from. Oh, and read some of my other posts! :) Let me know what ya think!