Being Raw

Authenticity. Over the past several years in our culture, authenticity is a concept that has been buried in a closet somewhere. People have gone about their lives for years, hiding their hurts, fears, doubts and confusion, even in the church, a place where people should be free to be open and honest about their struggles. The church itself has become a place where taking off a mask and being real causes the vast majority to frown upon your mistakes - to scorn and to judge.

Maybe this is the reason we so often hear the common phrase, "church-goers are hypocrites." Because here is the sha-bam... everyone struggles with something. Surprised? I didn't think so. It's a simple and obvious concept, but one that is easy to overlook when surrounded by a room full of people who seem to have it all together. There's something called the human condition. It's an innate nature in each of us, and it's one that we battle every. single. day. No one is exempt.

Why have we fallen into this repetitive, daily trap of hiding?
Fear.
Fear of judgement, fear of being hurt, talked about and rejected. Ironically, fear of being subjected to these things by our fellow human beings, all of whom should understand better than anyone the struggle of sin nature.

See, we live in a society where "fake" has become the norm. Where airbrushed models, selfies and perfect social media facades are something to be admired. The world we've become comfortable with, is a dangerous one. It encourages us to shove our struggles behind closed doors, left to be unfaced and unchallenged. It's a dangerous place to be.

When we don't face our problems, they grow. They fester and spread. So many don't know how to break out of prison, because no one told them how. Or why they would want to.

This is no small issue. And it's highly overlooked.

We need to challenge ourselves as a society to be there for others. The only way to do this, is to first be real with yourself and with God. And then start allowing yourself to be real with others. We are given experiences in life to be better equipped to come alongside people who are struggling with similar situations. Don't let your story be untold.

If you are a church-goer - you are the church. You have the ability to be that Christ-like example - to minister to those that God brings into your life. Don't hold back. Christ didn't hold back from you. Not only did Jesus know the most real and raw version of you; he loved you enough to take your deepest regrets, mistakes and burdens, and to own them for you. Think about that. The most perfect and holy man in all of creation chose to love you, not to scorn you. He didn't just listen and know your problems, He cried with you, and made them His own.

Here is a challenge. It's time to be raw. It's time to be real.

Everything to God in Prayer

I was thinking today about how incredibly amazing it is that we can come to God at any time, and for any reason. I love that we don't have to wait for the perfect moment- He is always waiting eagerly to hear from us. Whether we be asking for forgiveness, prayer for others, or even just having a shoulder to cry on in difficult times, God will always be available and ready to have meaningful conversation with us. To top it all off, we tend to become so distracted by every day life, that we forget or push aside our time with the Lord. Yet He is still listening for us when we want to talk to Him. It reminds me of the hymn, What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Sometimes I think I prefer hymns over other worship songs, simply because their words are so rich, thoughtful and full of meaning. I would encourage you all to read through the words below and really digest them. It's a beautiful song, with a beautiful message that should truly be taken to heart.

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. Have we trials and temptations?
   Is there trouble anywhere?
   We should never be discouraged—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Can we find a friend so faithful,
   Who will all our sorrows share?
   Jesus knows our every weakness;
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
3. Are we weak and heavy-laden,
   Cumbered with a load of care?
   Precious Savior, still our refuge—
   Take it to the Lord in prayer.
   Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?
   Take it to the Lord in prayer!
   In His arms He’ll take and shield thee,
   Thou wilt find a solace there.

Happiness is a Choice

It's interesting- perhaps I just become more perceptive as time goes on, but it seems like more and more I am discovering people I know who suffer with sadness or depression. Maybe it even has to do with where I am in my life- my age, the age of my friends. On the same token, undoubtedly, there are people I know who are either really adept at hiding sadness, or they just haven't suffered anything traumatic enough to alter their personalities that way (thank the Lord). Nonetheless, whether it be in the blogging realm, or my life here in So Cal, it never ceases to amaze me.

So many things can be the cause- chemical imbalance, life events, other people. Especially blogging- the more publicity you snag, the more you attract the internet trolls- unfortunately. There are people lurking, just wasting time, waiting to ruin someones day. It can get to me often, when I see friends of mine suffering from this- I can't understand how anyone could be cruel and thoughtless enough to drop a comment on some forum in cyber space that starts a crazy, wacked out trail of internet bullies. 

Then there's "real life" as it could be called. A lot of times, I think the life events that take place day to day are like the wood for the fire, and the internet realm sets it a flame. Why? Because we all have base insecurities, every single one of us. All it takes is for someone to hit a cord that will bring out all of those nasty hurts we've worked so hard to brush aside and move on from. 

But besides those little things, there are always underlying causes for sadness- something that lurks in our minds and gives us that melancholy facet to our thought life.

The thing about sadness and depression is that it will nag you incessantly, until it fills every thought, every action, every word. And it feeds off of each day that passes- like Chinese water torture. The more you think about the things that scar you, the more the dripping water drives you to a state of madness. 

Which is why a choice must be made. Struggling with sadness or depression is like wearing handcuffs, and having the key to unlock them sitting right in front of you. But you make no move for them. Because sometimes letting go of the memories and things that ail you can seem more painful than remembering. It's gathering the courage to reach for that key and release yourself from whatever it is that holds you back. 

The thing is that our minds will grasp at anything we can to hold onto those hurts- even though we don't want to suffer the pain anymore, it just takes too much strength for a human being to let go on their own. 

Mathew 11:28 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Sometimes we will reach a point where, at long last, we realize we don't want to feel this way anymore. The times when I've experienced this, I've had to sit back, say a farewell to those feelings and memories that have held me captive, and pray to God that he will remove them from me. While a part of me aches for the thought I letting it all go, I realize that I will be all the better for giving it up to God, and leaving my bundle ( as in Pilgrim's Progress) at the foot of the cross. When we let go, God is faithful to heal us. It's not to say that old wounds won't be re-opened from time to time- it's a journey, a breath by breath process. But it's 100% easier when we know that God is there beside us. It's a much less lonely notion that muddling through it by yourself- and trusting that He will be faithful to work it all out is momentous! What an incredible relief it is to trust that we will one day be able to look back and see how it all makes sense.

"Cast all your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken."

 Psalm 55:22

He is Still Good

I was scouting Pinterest today ( as I often do). Sadly enough I have over 11,000 pins these days. Can you say someones got a problem? Yet what I love is that even in the midst of my materialistic little ventures, God manages to show me something profoundly simple. Sometimes I stumble across the occasional bible verse or quote about God that really inspires me. I'm not talking about the kitschy, footsteps in the sand kind of inspiration- lol.

I found this photograph of a phrase someone wrote. It said, "and if not, He is still good." It was taken as an indirect interpretation of Daniel 3:18, where Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego are about five minutes away from being toast. Basically they are saying to the King, God can save us from this furnace. But even if he doesn't, we would still never worship your false idols. So then look back at that phrase, "and if not, He is still good." It's almost like you can read it and take in a deep breath. It will be okay. You can really fill it in with anything. And still, no matter the trials, pains and hurts of this life, He is still good.

I know that was short today, but if that can be of any inspiration to you, I know it was worth sharing!

Happy Wednesday <3

Alex

More Than Anything

Sorry it's been so long since I've posted on here! Sometimes life just gets so crazy. But I haven't neglected this blog in my thought life. Hopefully that counts for something- haha!

You know, I've been thinking a lot lately about idolizing things. Especially living in the 21st century, everything is all about the stuff. It used to not bother me as much, but I think it all goes hand in hand with being a fashion blogger. As funny as it seems, it can be so easy to lose focus and think about the material things instead of living for Christ. Balance is so hard sometimes! And it's not always things either. Sometimes for me it can be memories or people.

We were singing a song in church today- the lyrics were like this

"I need you more, more than yesterday

I need you more, more than words can say

More than the air I breathe

More than the song I sing

More than the next heart beat

More than anything"

The word that really stood out to me was, anything. Just think about it for a minute. Fill in anything with whatever you idolize- a thing, a memory, a job, a person. Crazy right? It reminds me that even though we stress over things in life, God is all we need, more than anything.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Faith, Trust & Pixie Dust

Haha, got ya'! That's right, this post isn't about peter pan. I just couldn't resist a little rhyme. You know, lately I've been thinking a lot. I am one of those people that just needs control, all of the time. When things are going crazy all around you it's hard to maintain the proper focus. I even can get a little stressed about the future sometimes. The other day I just felt like the Lord was telling me to trust in him.

Word picture time: Imagine being a kid again. You are playing that game where you close your eyes and your friend leads you around blindly. (Tell me I'm not the only one who has ever done this? Haha) The entire time you continue to ask your friend, " Am I going to run into a wall? Am I going to step on something?" And your friend continues to reassure that while you can't see where you are being led, he/she knows how to lead you in a way that will keep you safe. It's the same way with God. He's leading us, and though we are blind he sees the whole picture. So he gives us His word, repeating over and over again to simply trust in Him.

I am one to despise cliches, and overly used verses are something I often, unintentionally overlook. But for some reason one verse has come to mind and I have to keep repeating it to myself.

Psalm 3:5-6  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will dirrect your path."

Purpose

Someone asked me this week, "How do you cope with life?" Well, that was basically the question in a nutshell. I immediately began racking my brain for a suitable answer and all I could come up with was, " I don't." It's been on my mind for a few days now. I suppose I ought to explain what I mean. Amid all of the happy moments in life, sometimes it seems like they are often outweighed by the bad. We are constantly looking to the past, and never living in the present. We are unsatisfied creatures... human beings.

Sometimes it feels like I'm just trudging along- reminding myself to face each week as it's own set of challenges. So that's why my answer was "I don't."

Well, low and behold I was talking to another friend of mine and we came upon the subject of purpose. Christian's especially tend to look to the future with excitement. And of course, usually a bit of fear. But how many of have heard a fellow believer say, " I can't wait for the Lord's return." It seems like we are typically the first ones to scoff at our time here on earth. But think about who put us here in the first place. Does God ever do anything that doesn't fit within his plan? Of course not! God put us on this earth for a reason, and that is where purpose comes in. Life here isn't to be wasted. We are supposed to be seeking the Lord's will and carrying it out. We are here for a reason.

The phrase, "I don't" should be replaced with, "God does." It's important for our focus to always be directed onto Him. We within our own strength cannot make it through life on our own, if we are to do His work.

Mark 16:15 

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."

Accepting Change

I don't know about all of you, but as I always say, I'm a creature of habit. I just like things to remain consistent ( for the most part). Of course every now and then a little change can be a good thing. But in general I really hate it when people and places move on. It always seems like I'm sort of left behind if that makes sense. I found this quote once, and it couldn't ring any truer in my ears, " You get a strange feeling when you are about to leave a place, like you'll not only miss the people you love but also miss the person you are now at this time and place because you'll never be this way again."

Sometimes I feel like that sums up my life. I meet people, ( I get really attached- must be my personality) , then all of the sudden it's over. And they all leave. They move on. And I'm left behind.

Gotta say, that's one thing I struggle with- change. It seems like everyone else is so ready to let go. Maybe that's an incapability of mine. If I really let my mind go wild I could probably get a little sick from it sometimes. Honestly, this all probably makes me sound like a bit of a freak, I don't know. Do any of you ever feel this way?

One verse that I've been looking to lately really helps me through a lot. I think I may make it into my life verse,

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight."

That verse just hits home a lot of times and it is a great reminder for my worrying mind! If I just trust the Lord, he will guide me in my life. Thank God for the peace that only his word can give.

Brussel Sprouts

You probably can tell by now that I have a thing for word pictures. I guess I'm a little visual sometimes- haha.  Often, several times a week I will hear different examples from life that really help me make sense of things. For example, the other day a woman at bible study was saying how reading God's word is sort of like a Brussels sprout ( stick with me here). It is healthy, and aids you in maintaining a more balanced life. But sometimes it doesn't always taste super great- Bible reading can get to be a little dull sometimes and we slack off. If you continue to be consistent in reading, however, you acquire a taste for the healthy things in life. In the same way, if someone habitually eats things with a lot of sugar ( candy, cookies, cakes- getting hungry here ;-) they will grow to have a taste for the things that are bad for you. It's nice while you eat it, but you see negative results later ( following me)?

Anyways, that was just something that sort of stuck with me this week. What do you think? Do you tend to have more "Brussels sprouts" or "candy"?

2 Timothy 3:16-17

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

Time to Listen

At one time or another every Christian will have a dispute with someone of the same faith. Same faith? Yup- think about it. Pre-tribulation versus post-tribulation, chosen by God or man choosing God, etc. The list goes on. Honestly, for me it all gets confusing. Everyone has opinions. This is probably a fairly controversial topic to be bringing up on a blog, but I'm going to give you my thoughts anyway.

Ready? I don't lean one way or the other! Let me explain. For the most part, both sides of these kinds of arguments have some sort of Biblical scripture to back up their ideas! For me, unless the Bible says it in plain English, either idea can be true. I know a lot of people are probably shaking their head at me right now- haha. That's just my thinking.

This isn't to say that I think opinions are a bad thing. But I also think that a lot can be gained from listening. James 1:19 says,

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;"

It's fine to have opinions! Just make sure that you don't shut out the ideas of others in the same faith- if they have some biblical truth to their point, take the time to listen. 

God & Ice Cream

Well, I ought to be honest and say... up until this morning I had no idea what I was going to write about. I had spent my week trying to find verses or sections from the church message that I could share with you all. But it just wasn't coming to me. Nothing was standing out. And then I was at bible study this morning.

While speaking with one of the pastors we had somehow gotten onto the subject of questioning Christianity. Let's face it... Christianity is one of those religions that can be a lot to take in. So naturally the believer and unbeliever alike are going to have questions, right? I know I do! Well, he gave this wonderful analogy ( and it was sort of a sweet one too ;-). It went something like this...

Say you tried this amazing new ice cream flavor and your friend was super interested to know what it tasted like. You would describe the taste of the ice cream to the best of your ability, but until that friend tries it for herself how is she to know how good it really is? In the same way, we need to study God's word for ourselves. We can ask questions but ultimately the best sort of answers will come straight from the source. Psalm 34:8 says, " Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him." 

Isn't that wonderful? I don't know- it just really stood out to me. And of course I had to share it with you lovelies! 

Anyways, that's what I have for you this week.

Thank you to all who have followed... you girls are awesome!

<3

Alex