Representative of God

As Christians, we represent God everyday by what we say and do. People look at us as people of God. Do we give bad examples? As humans, we aren't perfect. But we should always strive to live in a way God would want us to. The things we say and do have a huge impact on how others perceive us. We are to live in His image, so that His light will shine through us and hopefully shine on others. 

It's been awhile since I've posted anything. I could sit here and say I've been super busy, life got in the way, I have too much going on, but those are just excuses that honestly aren't completely true. I do have a lot going on, but I should always make time for God. And I should always make time for my commitments, and I committed to this, so I will not give up on it. I am going to do better from now on.

For this entry, I read:

Exodus 5:22-21:21
Matthew 18:21-23:39
Psalms 23:1-28:9
Proverbs 5:22-7:5

                                                      Exodus


In Exodus 13:17-18, God led the Israelites on a detour to the Promised Land instead of the shortest route to avoid conflict. Sometimes in life, do we feel like God is leading us on the longest possible path to reach our goals? I know I feel like that sometimes. But we have to remember, God see's our path from beginning to end. He knows what the best route is for us to reach our goals. It won't always be easy, and it won't always be fun, but He knows what's best for us. We need to trust Him, trust that He will take care of us and get us to the end.



Matthew

Forgiveness is something everyone struggles with. When someone you trusted turns their back on you, it's hard to let that go. But in Matthew 18:21-33, Jesus says that we should always forgive, no matter what. That doesn't mean if someone who continues to hurt you, you should be around that person. But in your heart, you should forgive, because God forgave us for all of our sins. Can't we do the same? 

                                                             Psalms

"The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me", Psalms 23:1-4. If you have never heard these verses, I am glad you have now. They hold an important message. The Lord is our shepherd, and we are His sheep. If we stick close beside Him, we will live in peace and contentment. If you have stress, worry, frustration in your life, just remember to stay close to God. He will give you peace that you can't get anywhere else.




Proverbs

I know how easy it is to be lazy, trust me. But God doesn't want us to be lazy! In Proverbs 6:6-11, God tells us to take a lesson from the ants, who work all day gathering food. We need to remember, God wants us to work. Volunteering, helping others, spreading God's word, anything to fill our day. Sometimes it's hard to get motivated to do things that we need to do. Putting things off is a bad habit. Just pray to God to help you get motivated. He is always there to help. :)

Strength of Faith

How strong is my faith in God? That was the question I kept asking myself these past few weeks. When something unfortunate happens, does your faith waver? When there are questions we have that we can't find the answers to, do we start doubting our faith? Keeping your faith strong even in tough situations is what God wants us to do. Otherwise, why would it be called "faith"?

Here's what I read for this post: 

Genesis 42:18-50
Exodus 1-5:21
Matthew 13:47-18:20
Psalms 18:16-22:31
Proverbs 4:7-5:21

Genesis

Back to my question before, how strong is your faith? In Genesis 45:4-8, God used Joseph's brothers evil actions to bring good. When something bad happens to you or you hear of evil things happening, do you have trouble believing God is still in control? God doesn't like evil, but it happens. He does, however, bring good out of evil situations. Joseph's brothers, for example, sold him into slavery. But when Joesph grew up, God sent him ahead to save the lives of many. Next time you find yourself in a bad situation, turn to God. He will make sure that good things are coming your way.

Exodus

Do you let your fears hold you back? I know I do. There are great things that God wants us to do with our lives. Witnessing to people, sharing the word of God, volunteering to help others, or maybe even something bigger. When we let our fears overcome us, it holds us back from being all that God wants us to be. In Exodus 4:10-11, Moses was scared about his task God asked him to do. He said he's not good with words and gets tounge tied. God assured Moses that He would be with him every step of the way and give him the words to say. God is always there to give us the ability and strength to get through scary situations. For example, this blog. Sometimes I'll sit down to write an entry, and have no idea what to say. But, I always pray before I start and ask God to speak through me and send out the message He wants to send. And before I know it, I'm done writing. 

Matthew

In tough situations, do you walk or sink? In Matthew 14:28-33, Peter started to sink when he was walking on water toward Jesus, because he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the waves around him. When Peter realized what was going on, he panicked and his faith wavered. When the waves around you start getting rough, focus your attention on God, not the situation. He will walk you through it, one step at a time.

Ever hear the saying, "Careful what you say, it may come back to haunt you?" Well, there's some truth to that. In Matthew 15:16-20, Jesus is explaining the parable about words from the heart. "But the words you speak come from the heart-that's what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander." So, what you say can determine the kind of person you are, or what sin lies within your heart. Try to control the urge to sin-as little as it may be-or your words may give you away. 

Psalms

I was reading Psalms 19, and verses 1-4 stuck out to me. The way I took it was that God is everywhere. He is in the skies, the grass, the trees, the clouds, everywhere you turn, He is there all throughout the earth. Isn't that just amazing? Then I read Psalms 22:1-2, and I realized even when we feel like God isn't there for us, He always is. Not only in our hearts, but all around us. The air we breath, the music we hear, the birds chirping. He wants us to always feel His presence. 

Proverbs

We have to learn to control our desires within our hearts and try to keep sin out. In Proverbs 4:23-27, it tells us to guard our heart. What lies within your heart is what you most desire, so make sure it is pure. Concentrate on the desires that will keep you on the right path. It takes a lot of commitment, but God is always there to help us on our way. So whenever we run into temptation, we can turn our back to it.

The other night, I had a conversation with my brother. We were talking about questioning the Bible. He pointed out that if we don't believe even one part of the Bible, the whole thing is discredited. I agree with that. The Bible is God's word, after all. Don't confuse having questions about the Bible or God with disagreeing or not believing. Actually, I believe God wants us to ask questions. And were not suppose to know all the answers. That doesn't mean our faith isn't strong. In fact, I believe that if you have so many unanswered questions, but still have faith in God and believe in everything He has done and promised us, then your faith is stronger than ever.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." Proverbs 3: 5-6

These are my new favorite verses. There is so much meaning in them. They really spoke to my heart. This week (weeks) I fell behind a bit, but I was able to catch up. Here is what I read:

Genesis 18:16-42:17
Matthew 6:25-13:46
Psalms 8-18:15
Proverbs 2:6-4:6

Genesis
Envy and jealously aren't good. So, why do they come so easily for us? We want what we don't have. We say we "need" something. Stop and think, do you really need this? Could wanting it as much as you do cause you to think you need it? Do you look at what someone else has and compare it to what you have? They have a bigger TV, a nicer car, a better computer. Instead of thinking you want something someone else has, think of what you already have. Probably a lot more than some people have. You should thank God for all He has already blessed you with. This is hard to do, especially in this society, where the newer, the better. Where people stand in lines for days waiting for the newest iphone to come out. Appreciate what you already have, because you're lucky to have even that. And when you find yourself keeping score with what others have, it's time to deal with your jealously. Genesis 26: 12-16 and 37: 19-20 can help you with this issue.


Let's talk about prayer. Prayer is a powerful thing. A lot of people only pray when they need something. I used to be guilty of this. Now I pray everyday, several times a day. When I need comfort, when I want to thank God for everything He has blessed me with, when I need guidance and perspective, when I need a shoulder to cry on, when I need to repent my sins, and for so many other reasons. He is always someone I can count on for being there for me whenever I need Him. One thing I have learned from Genesis 30: 22-24 is that I need to be patient. God WILL answer prayers, but on His time. 

Matthew
Matthew 6:25-34 tells us not to worry about basic needs, like what to eat, drink, or wear. When I first read this, I thought that's impossible! How can I not worry about what I'm going to eat?? But now I know what it truly means. That to not worry about simple, everyday things. Don't worry about tomorrow. Instead, focus on living righteously and God will give you all you need. This is something I struggle with daily. I worry about everything! But, worry does more harm than good. It pulls your attention from God, and what's really important. Have faith in God, and know that no matter what comes your way, God will give you the strength to overcome it. In Matthew 11: 28-30, it tells us not to stress. When we feel stressed, turn to God and He will carry our burdens for us. Remember, faith in God is the best way to show Him how much you love Him. We must keep our faith strong, even when times are hard. He might not always take away our troubles, but He will give us the strength to overcome them. 

Here is an issue that bothers me: Judgement. It bothers me because so many people are very judgemental. But it bothers me most because I am too. It almost comes natural to us. I see it all the time, and I catch myself doing it many times. We need to remember, it is not our place to judge others; it's God's. Let God handle that. Turn to Matthew 7: 1-14. God wants us to treat others the same as you want to be treated. Instead of judging someone for their life choices, we should accept them. We should focus on spreading God's word so that the people who have fallen off the right path might see the light and turn to God. 

Psalms
Everyone has doubts sometimes. Everyone gets angry sometimes. It's how you handle these that matter. Always turn to God, even when you have doubts or you are angry. Even if you feel like God isn't there with you, keep praying. Keep your faith strong. Even if you don't understand something, share your feelings with Him. He wants to hear from you. And trust me, even if you don't feel it, He is there. Just turn to Psalms 10:1 and 13 when you feel this way.

Proverbs
I have found new words to live by: Proverbs 3: 5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take." I love these verses. They tell you exactly how to live your life basically. Trust the Lord and seek His will, and He will show you the right path to take. I can't tell you how many times I wish I have done this. I wish I realized how true this was a long time ago. But I do now, and that's what it most important. This is how I want to live my life. It's not always going to be easy, in fact it's probably going to be a challenge. But the rewards are so wonderful and are so worth it, it won't feel like work at all. 

He is my Shield

I want to start off with a little bit about myself. I am a follower of Christ. I have a wonderful husband, Kiefer, who I married in December 2012. We have three beautiful kids, Ollie, Mollie, and Hallie.....they all have fur ;) (2 cats and a dog). I have an amazing family. 
I LOVE animals, especially cats! I'm known as the crazy cat lady, which is a title I gladly accept :) 
I have never read the entire Bible. In fact, I am ashamed to say that as a Christian, I have read very little of the Bible. Which is one reason I began this journey!





This is the end of week one of the One-Year Plan through my YouVersion Bible app. It includes daily readings from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs. I am using my Students Life Application Study Bible in the New Living Translation. I've really enjoyed it so far! I won't lie, I did miss one day this week, but I made up for it by reading it the next day!

This week, I read: 

• Genesis chapters 1-18 (18:1-15)
• Matthew chapters 1-6 (6:1-24)
• Psalms chapters 1-7
• Proverbs chapters 1-2 (2:1-5) 

I will break down my thoughts into the different chapters I read, so that I am not bouncing around everywhere. 

Genesis

In Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us." God wants us to reflect his characteristics, like love, patience, forgiveness, kindness, and faithfulness. I could really work on being patient. I struggle with this, which is one reason I'm nervous about being a mom. But I've learned that God will give me the strength to overcome this.

The question I need to be asking myself is, do I go through the motions everyday, or do I really put my heart into pleasing God? Do I read my bible, go to church, pray, do good deeds out of obligation? What is my motivation for pleasing God? Cain tried to please God out of obligation instead of love in Genesis 4:3-7.  These are hard questions, and I think a lot of Christians struggle with this. I want to live my life in God's glory. So before I do anything to please God, I'm going to make sure my heart is in the right place.

Church attendance, prayer and good deeds are all great, but FAITH and TRUST in God is the only way to have a strong relationship with Him. As said in Genesis 15:6, "And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith."

Sometimes we may feel like some things are impossible. But isn't anything possible through God? "Is anything too hard for the Lord", Genesis 18:14. Sarah laughed when God said she would have a son. She felt she was too old. When God confronted her about laughing, she lied. She doubted God and his power. She didn't have enough faith. I need to learn to put all my faith in the Lord and to always remember, with God, anything is possible.

Matthew


The sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5 tells us that God wants us to give when others take, love when others hate, help when others abuse. He blesses and rewards those who do things His way. This is a hard one. It kind of ties in with Matthew 5:38-42, where it says, "...if someone slaps you on the right cheek, offer the other cheek also. If you are sued in court and your shirt is taken from you, give your coat, too." This is hard because it's not always fair. But, we must always play fair. Don't ever seek revenge, God will handle those who harm you. Love your neighbor and your enemy. Treat them as God would. We are all Gods children. Pray for them instead. Just think, what would Jesus do?



Psalms

Time to get personal. I have many enemies in my life. You might be thinking, who would be an enemy to such a sweet girl ;) but I don't mean people. My "enemies" are all within myself. I have been struggling with depression. I have fears, doubts, negative thoughts, and these are all a war within myself everyday. I recently lost a job that I cared so much about. I have been struggling with what my future holds, where am I going in life? I don't mean my husband and family. I am beyond blessed to have them. 
Psalms 3 really helped me understand that God is my shield from these enemies and He will protect me from them. He is always watching over me, and I shouldn't be afraid anymore. 

I have to say, when I started reading the bible everyday, I started to feel a HUGE difference inside myself. I know a lot of people say that, but it's TRUE! It's absolutely amazing! And to think this whole time, while I was going through all of this, the best medicine was sitting on my bookshelf. I wish more people could see that. 

I also learned from Psalms that God ALWAYS listens to our prayers. He will always answer them, even if it's not the answer we were expecting.

Proverbs

I really like Proverbs. It tells us how to be understanding, just, and fair in everything we do. It tells us how to make wise decisions. What stuck out to me this week was chapter 
1:10-19. So many kids in school go through peer pressure. While my days of peer pressure are mostly behind me, there is still pressure from society, media, and life in general. That's what makes decision making so hard. Making a wise choice can help you stay on the right path. Always remember that God wants you to listen to Him, not everyone else. Then everything will fall into place. :)

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog, Wings of Faith! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Here is my first entry of my very first blog. I'm not exactly sure how it all works, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. 

This blog is going to be about my commitment to reading the Bible in one year. I will post weekly reflections about the verses I read and how it relates to my life, and how I can apply it to my life. 

There are many reasons why I wanted to start this blog:

1. I love to write. 

2. I want to strengthen my relationship with God.

3. I have always wanted to read the entire Bible, and I thought this was a wonderful way to accomplish that. 

4. I have been going through a lot lately, and I know I could use some support. 

5. I have been battling some struggles within myself, and I know this will help me reflect upon this journey and I can hopefully overcome my struggles.

6. I hope to reach others through my reflections and help them realize they are not alone. Everyone goes through hard times, and God is always there to help.

7. I feel like I have been making wrong decisions and have been straying off the right path. I need to learn to listen to God and His plan for me.

8. I want to give others hope and knowledge that they can always turn to God, not just in bad times, but also in good times.

9. I want to remember every single day that I have God, family, and friends who love and support me. 

10. I feel in my heart that God has been encouraging me to write this blog. 

This is day one of my one-year commitment. So, I will be posting the first entry after week one!

So excited to go on this journey! I hope someone out there will be inspired and benefit from my writing!