Life is unpredictable

It's unexpected yet reliable

Most worry of the future

When the present is now

Fix the mistakes you live in

And look no further then tomorrow

Fears won't help you through life

Your faith and love will

So why waste your days worrying

When you can embrace it and grow

Take the lessons you learn

And use them for today

Breath in and exhale

Before you wish our life away

We only have one chance

To live just one short life

So why do we waste it

On small, pointless things

Worry and fear, regret and doubt

Shouldn't we forget these and move on

Take your life one day at a time

Don't try to make it go fast

Live in the moment

Because now...is the past.

- A.C.Willard

It's amazing isn't it?

Thinking about how God will always love us, and nothing we can do will ever change that.

It's almost unbelievable, to think that we could possible be loved that much, that even when murder is committed, or things are stolen, God still loves us.

Nothing we can do, can make God love us more then He already does, nothing!

Because God already loves us SO much, there isn't any possible way for Him to love us more!

Honestly, I start to get a bit of a head ache when I try to think of how much He loves us, and how it's not possible for Him to love us more.

It's confusing but true.

There is NO possible way to make God love us more then He already does.

The answer is YES! No matter what you do, God will ALWAYS love you!

That doesn't mean we can go around stealing, lying, killing or screaming at our siblings/parents.

God will still love you even if you do those things, but He will be upset and disappointed with you.

If you ask me, having God disappointed with me would be an awful thing!

I want to have God pleased with me and all that I do.

Even though I know, He'll always love me, that doesn't mean I am going to allow myself to sin, just because "He'll still love me even if I just take this cookie."

No, I am not going to allow myself to fall into sin, just because I know God will always love me.

I have found many scriptures about God's love towards us, and I've found them very inspirational, I hope you do too.

Proverbs 3.11-12

“My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.” 

Romans 8.38-39  

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Psalm 117:2

“For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord.”

John 3:16 

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

God will love us forever, and forever is a VERY long time!

Even though we know He’ll never stop loving us, and that there is no possible way to make Him love us more, we still need to do our best to live a life that would be pleasing to Him.

Note: this is a short story I wrote when I was 12. I was really into stories of slavery and heartbroken every time I read a story. I wrote this for a contest (but lost) but it is still a story that is close to me.(Because I wrote it when I was 12, it will have a LOT of mistakes. Please ignore those for the time being!)

And

Colossians 3:12-17 12:
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

13: Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14: And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.

16: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17: And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Hey Guys, I have some exciting news!

Last year, hundreds of Rebelutionaries teamed together to drive DO HARD THINGS to the top five of Amazon's best selling list. This year, we're doing it again!!

TheRebelution is hosting an Amazon.com Book Bomb for Alex and Brett's new book Start Here: Doing Hard Things Right Where You Are. On February 23rd we're going to try and push it to the top of Amazon -- and I need your help!

This book has a message that teens need to hear. The book bomb is a great chance to get a copy for yourself (plus a few to give away) at a great price -- and help get the book in front of thousands of new people -- all at the same time!

Also, for every copy of the book that people buy on Amazon.com on February 23rd, Alex and Brett will be giving away copies to teens and ministries who can't afford them.

If you want to help out, go to TheRebelution and sign up with the number of books you plan to order on February 23rd. Then help spread the word by sharing this or spreading the word on Facebook. We don't have much time!

Your (Excited) Friend,
Alesia

P.S. One great idea some people have had is to see if you and some friends can order together. If you buy more than three, you get free shipping. You can also check and see if your church or youth group will buy some. Think outside the box!

I fellow blogging friend of mine posted this on his blog today, and I just had to share it. I agree wholeheartedly with everything he talks about, and I hope you will enjoy reading this.

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Well, tomorrow is Valentines day. The day that everybody is to think on the love that they share in relationships.

There is also a trend that I have come across which calls the day, “singles awareness day.”  The point being that we become aware of all those who are without a relationship to focus on. And it becomes a day of mourning for those without a relationship.

And if that is the definition of “singles awareness day”, as a single, I want no part of it.

Instead let me throw down some of my thoughts on singleness. These are some of the things that I had learn through the years as a  single person. This is by no mean a comprehensive list but hopefully it hits some basic elements.

• Singleness is not a curse.
  • There can be the temptation to see singleness as a punishment from God. Though this might be something that some chuckle at, it is a real problem. I have had to struggle with it from time to time. The idea is that there is some sin or sins that I have which are keeping me from marriage. God is looking down on me with displeasure because of it and He is keeping someone from me until I become almost perfect.  I wanted to say, “God, come on…do I have to be perfect until I find someone?” Of course the Spirit would quickly rebuke me for such thinking.  Singleness is not a strike from God because I am not living perfectly. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). And singleness is not excluded from the “no.” You and I will never be perfect and the person we marry will never be perfect. And both her and I are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. So this is not a punishment from my Father in anyway.
  • That being said, however, I would tell someone that there are problems which can keep us from being marry-able. For instance, one cannot hold a job to provide for a family. Maybe one has no relational skills and thus cannot hold conversation with anyone. These are things that can keep us from having the quality that one needs to be married to someone. Remember, we are to relate to one another in the manner of Christ who, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:6-8 . Thus, “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 2:3-4). If you will be a burden to a spouse and not an aid you don’t need to look into marriage. Doing so is selfish!

• Singleness can be painful.
  • This is real life. Singles are not always the envisioned, “happily devoted to serving God because I do not have the responsibility of a spouse.” There are many who want that responsibility, yet have not been granted it. A wife (or husband) is a good thing (Pro 18:22) and the pursuit of one should not be looked down upon. And many people have pursued again and again and some have waited to be pursued again and again and they have turned up empty handed. This is no matter for any caring member of a local church to cast aside. Some singles have had broken relationships again and again. This starts to quench any future desire to pursue because the desire seems unattainable. Why pursue again since it is probably going to result in failure again? And so the desire for marriage seems completely unattainable.  There is real pain with failed relationships and singles need to be directed to the God of all comfort who comforts us in all our afflictions (2 Cor 1:3-4a). I know, I have been there many times. Just broadly blasting out “you need to get married” is of little help in such cases. Yes, there is the adult-child that needs to grow up and attain the character one needs to marry. But many singles would be married at a drop of a hat if they could. So what is the church to do about this?

• Singles need to be pointed to Christ and the inheritance found in Him, not the future “one”.
  • The answer to these pain is not, “wait for the best one that will be coming around anytime now.” But instead, the answer is to direct them to rely not on [them]selves but on God who raises the dead. (2 Cor 1:9b). Every person who is single needs to have their hope set in Jesus Christ and the awaiting future kingdom that He has promised them. God knows their pain but their struggle now is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18b). There is the sustaining joy of knowing that the one who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all (Rom 8:32a) works everything for our good. But what is the good that He is working? “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Rom 8:29). That is the goal to which God is bring us, conformity to Jesus. And faith looks to that truth and believes that it is better than marriage.
  • A life of holiness and love for Christ is more fulfilling than having another person to hold, cuddle, and become intimate with. And you know what, our heaven Father knows that He is keeping such pleasures from some of His children. And you know what He promises those children? A future inheritance that will reward them for faithfulness without those pleasures! The pleasures which this inheritance will give in the first minute will make up for the missed pleasures of sexual intimacy with a spouse one would have had in a life time! Nothing is worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us!
  • In loving words every single needs to be told the words from Lloyd-Jones, “stop looking at yourself and begin to enjoy Him.” (Spiritual Depression, pp. 88 . Look to the One who chose you before the foundations of the world to be holy and blameless. Who predestined you in love to be adopted as His very own child so that He could lavish all His grace upon you for all of eternity. Who washed all your filthiness and vileness away by His sacrificial atonement. Putting upon Himself the very wrath that you deserved. And raised you up with Himself as He conquer the grave by His resurrection. So that you are now dead to sin and alive to holiness. And the One who keeps you His very own by His strength and not your own! Every single’s eyes are to be directed to this One for all their joy and hope.

These are some of the things that the Lord has taught me while pilgriming this journey of singleness. Has it been (and still is) difficult? Yes. There are constant heart tearings and failing dreams in this one area of my life. But is it pointless? NO! I am owned by a God who is bringing upon me these storms because there is something better that I should attain. And He is here to carry me through each and every storm. I know myself! I would have given up long ago by being drowned in a sea of despair. But no, “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thess 5:24).  Having looked back upon my singleness I can say this, it has not been easy; But because of it I have come to know Him so much better. Not because I am so great. But because He has used the trials to bring me closer to Himself.

So thank you Jesus for my singleness! Keep leading and guiding me on this path till it is your will to make it change. Just give me the strength to endure each and every trial. Because it is by this valley I get to know you better! And let me love and serve my married brothers and sisters so that your church may be built up in love and holiness. Amen!

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Please be sure to check out his blog!