Spend Time With Him

When we live out our lives, are we living them out in away that when people see us its not us they see but God? Do they look at us and go "I want what he is having", if not, why not? Why is the Holy Spirit not shining through our eyes and lighting up our face? Why are we not that light in someones life that they need? As you get to know more about God your light will get brighter, and there maybe times when you need to cover up otherwise you will burn out and that isn't good! The power of God is mind blowing and no-one can really understand it, but to get to know God, to get to know his power, then we need to spend time with him!


----Andi (age 20)

Armageddon of Our Life

We are at war and I must continue to filter life through those lenses if not then the enemy has me to his advantage. Learning about life and trying to make sense of it all, I realize that this war runs true through every arena of life. Especially areas that are God centered. Let's think about it... If I was leading a war I would first act on the things or people that are most threatening to me. That only makes sense. So in this spiritual war that we face the enemy is smart and he plans his attacks against the most threatening things which are a man or women fully alive in Christ. What I know is Marriage is a good thing, so it will be a main firing zone for the enemy but being aware of this allows me to be prepared for the fight. I find my strength in the Lord. Rachel has shown me a lot through this learning process and I'm blessed to have her walking along side of me in this battle. When I look at her I see a Woman, Beauty itself, tenderness and intimacy. Guys that's worth fighting for. We are at War, don't be fooled.

---Chad (age 22)

The Best Way I Can

I am an extremely imperfect person that is loved by a God that created me to be a far better man. For your sake I hope you interact with me when I'm listening to Him and His love flows through me to you. All my motivations, although they might seem good, would ultimately boil down to nothing in the end if it were not for the life that Christ provides.
I'm nearing the tail end of my long-winded college experience. Most of it has actually served to teach me more about what I don't want to do with my life than what I do, which is find a way to use the talents I've been given and the knowledge I've acquired to serve the Lord and show His love to others in the best way I can.


Everyone has a hole in their heart that only God can fill... it's how He created us. I've slowly come to realize that the majority of people in our society, even most Christians, including me growing up and to a certain extent now, try to fill that hole in their heart with love from others. While I believe loving relationships with significant others, friends and family is all very vital to the well-being of a person's life, I'd say that when you try to use it to fill the hole designed only for God then you end up putting too much pressure on the people you love and are receiving love from, which can end up hurting relationships. I have great admiration and respect for people I've met in life that really just GET IT. Our love for each other, while capable of being amazing at times, is not what keeps us together, as our world today seems to say even in the most attractive and seemingly harmless ways, but rather God's love through us. I'm still learning about life and love every day... and who knows? My opinions may change even further in the future.

---Thomas (age 24)

Go Out and Find the World!

You want to see everything--find everything. There's the great unknown: where will I live? Who will I date next? What job will I have? The future is inviting.

Before we look out to the great unknown, we need to look inside ourselves. Is God there? Are we allowing Him to guide us out into the future?

You don't need to go on the journey without consulting your guide---and that would be God.

Promises

Hosea 14: 4-8

4The LORD says, I will bring my people back to me. I will love them with all my heart; No longer am I angry with them. 5I will be to the people of Israel Like rain in a dry land. They will blossom like flowers; They will be firmly rooted Like the trees of Lebanon. 6They will be alive with new growth, And beautiful like olive trees. They will be fragrant Like the cedars of Lebanon. 7Once again they will live under my protection. They will grow crops of grain And be fruitful like a vineyard. They will be as famous as the wine of Lebanon. 8The people of Israel will have nothing more to do with idols; I will answer their prayers and take care of them. Like an evergreen tree I will shelter them; I am the source of all their blessings.
It’s all very well and good for God to be making promises, and for non believers its hard not only to maybe believe in God but the fact that God keeps promises. I mean think about it. Man makes promises and granted man does keep some of them but man also breaks them too.
First promise that God makes is that he forgives. That he loves us and will forgives us and bring us. A love that is unconditional.
Second promise is that he will refresh us. I don’t know about you but when I go to church or I spend time in prayer or I am doing bible study when its finished I feel so refreshed especially at church. God’s Holy Spirit filling me up again for another week to be working in my life. God doesn’t leave us. Its one thing to love us and because of that he gives us fuel. Just like a parent feeds a child.
Third promise that when we do things that is with god’s blessing that it will flourish. Ever wonder why relationships may not work? It’s not because that God breaks them up it doesn’t work because its not meant to. I am not saying that God wanted us to have nuclear weapons but what I am saying that nuclear power is a good renewable energy that when done safely is good. It is man that has turned it into a lethal weapon. Fourth promise is that we will be alive. That we will not be boring people with boring lives. We will be boring people with lives if that’s what you want to be. But God promises that our lives will not be like that!
Fifth promise is that we will be beautiful. "Your body is a temple" 1 Corinthians 6: 19. How many temples and churches are beautiful? It may not be that you feel a beauty on the outside but there is an inner beauty. And that will seep through to the outside. God made you how he wanted you to look. He made you beautiful whether you find that easy to believe or not, it’s true.
Sixth promise is that God will protect us. That he will shield us from the enemy. We may let man in and Satan will try to tempt us but Satan will not kill us personally. We are the redeemed through Jesus and we will never die! Already God is pointing to the cross.
Seventh promise is that we will be famous. Maybe not in the sense of Beckham but we will be famous that God will know our name, that people will have known us for the good things we have done in God’s name.
And who do we have to thank for making these promises and keeping them? The God who is the same yesterday, Today and forever. Amen

Andi (age 19)

Radiate and Glorify!

My favorite thing about life is that there is this great, big, GOD that knows me, loves me, and wants me to share this love i've found with anyone i come in contact with. I want my life to radiate and glorify HIM!

--Emile (age 21)