Boo Proms

Well yall, its offically offical: I hate Prom Season.

I've never been to a prom... and its not cause I've never been asked, for I have been asked a few times and I know of several guys who would have taken me. Its not caues I don't want to go for I very much do. And its not because there were no proms avaliable to me, for there is a homeschool prom, and I've been asked to a few other schools' proms...

The reason is my parents have not allowed me. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I DO NOT RESENT THEM FOR IT. Honestly, I just want to dress up and be all perfectly pretty for one night and take pictures. That might seem really lame... but deep down I think a lot of girls feel this way. They just want a time, even for just a very short while, for it to be all about them and for them to look perfect for just a small time... they want to be captivating.

Thankfully, I know that my God thinks I'm beautiful and is captivated by me. He loves me, He knows me, and He wants so to badly to spend time with me. Me, His creation. And since I've been created in His image and likeness, Him and I share some traits... He wants me to be captivated by Him as well. He wants my voluntary love and affection and attention.

I guess, I hate prom season cause it reminds me of my desire to be captivating... seeing all the pretty girls in their pretty dresses with pretty hair and make up and nails and shoes and jewlery... all trying to be something worth looking at. This desire can fuel so much depression and dispare when not fulfilled.

Reflecting on all of this, I'm reminded of what God sees in me... and how He sees me. He sees me. Not the dress and hair, just me. Thinking about this, I want Him to see a character of beauty; selfless, loving, pure beauty. And although I'm not perfect, so very far from it, when I ask Him, what do you see? I get an answer so much more pleasant than when I ask the pretty prom girls.

...maybe I don't hate prom season that much after all....


Creator,

thank you for making me like you... and thank you for loving me the way you do. i am your crown of creation made in your image and from you springs my beauty. continue to define me.
i love you so...

Well, whadya know!

Okay, you know that first blog I posted...

Well, this is kinda a follow-up post of that post. Yesterday and today I've been practicing what I was preaching in that post and today God totally answered my prayers. I don't want to go into a ton of details but I'd basically been praying God to challenge me, show me what I need to be doing in some certain areas, and that He would speak to me through His word. And He did just that.

Today I was reminded of how real, aware, and concerned for us God really is. He's seemed to show up even in the little things of my day. I just want to encourage each of you: God wants to speak with you, guide you, give you peace, and give you love. He's real. Even when we forget. So don't give up praying. Don't give up reading the Word. He's just waiting for you to be ready for His next appointment with you.

I Got It Now...

I finally figured out today why my Bible reading/Prayer time has been kinda hum-drum of late....

You see, this past summer was really a spiritual awakening for me; between, Honduras, Fasting, and Fine Arts... my whole life has been reshaped. Last summer was also challenging, inspiring, and motivating for me spiritually so when school kicked back in everything was "back to normal" in more ways than I wanted...

P. Jon talked about prayer today in CG, he used the story of Adam and Eve and the Fall of man. Here's Genesis Chapter 3, we mainly looked at verses 7-11 and 21: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=1&chapter=3&version=31. Just like God wanted to communicate with Adam and Eve He also desperately wants to speak with us. And when we do speak to Him we wants us to do two things: (1) tell Him what we need and (2) talk to Him about 'stuff'.

The first part is pretty simple; present your requests to God. Tell Him what you want, need or what you want for other people. Praying for starving children, for your grandma to be healed, or for an iTouch :-) all fall into this category. And if you ask for things God wants to give you then He'll provide them for you just like in verse 21.
That 'stuff' I'm talking about is really all the things in your life. Whether it be sin or something you want God's opinion on or a place in your life where you just need His direction. This part of prayer should be challenging but if you truly are seeking Him he will answer these prayers; it might be in that still small voice, it might be through people, it might be through His word. Bottom line, He WILL answer in one way or another if you are right with Him and continue to seek even when results are not immediate.

I haven't really been doing that Second part lately... I've just kinda been reading and telling God what I need. This short sermon P. Jon preached has really helped me see the importance of confessing my sin and asking God about everything in my life, not just telling Him what I want and sorta reading His word.