Remote Learning. Honestly, it is something I never gave a second thought about until it became reality. Sitting at home in bed and doing school sounded kind of nice. I wouldn’t have to get up early, put on a uniform, and walk in the extremely crowded hallways. I would get to stay home in my nice warm bed, away from all the germs, and just be in my own space. But again, reality smacked me across the face. Harder this time. School being cancelled meant no hanging out with friends. It meant not going out to eat at my favorite restaurant on my birthday. It meant no traveling to the beach for Spring Break. It meant literally staying in the house all the time. We have literally been quarantined, and my guess is that it is only going to go downhill from here.
Through this entire rollercoaster of an experience, I hope to ultimately use it as a growing experience. Right now I am studying bible passages concerning God’s Timing. Last night I read Acts 1:7 which says, He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.” After reading this verse, I felt that God was telling me to trust. Even as hard as it can be now with everything going on in the world. Trust. That definitely won’t be the easiest thing to do. But that is what God is telling me to do and I have to trust that will be enough. Personally I am worried about those who don’t have anyone to be there for them, especially in this time of isolation. At this time it is very easy to just close your door, put your headphones in and block out everything going on in the rest of the world. At the end of the day, I know that God is right by their side every step of the way, giving them the strength to overcome anything that life decides to throw at them. Trust, as hard as it can be.
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“You aren’t good enough. And you never will be.” One of the worst feelings in the world is hearing those words being whispered in your ear by the devil. Hearing these words are a major punch in the gut. After hearing those words, you question everything. Every step you’ve taken. Every breath you’ve breathed. Every word you’ve said. Everything. Those words cause you to doubt your self worth. Ultimately ruining your confidence. And to recover or move on after hearing that is hard. But perseverance in those situations will be your knight in shining armor.
Romans 5:3-4 says, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” In these two verses Paul is reminding us that as Christians we can rejoice in the midst of any and every circumstance because of where our hope is placed, in Jesus Christ. One of the hardest lessons to learn is thanking and praising God even when nothing seems to be going your way. I think that I can speak for everyone when I say that all of us have experienced moments when we feel discouraged by life’s circumstances. Psalm 42:11 says, “Why my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” It is indeed comforting to know that our Lord invites us to confide in him through prayer. It’s beyond amazing to know that he understands each and everyone of our strengths and weaknesses. We can draw near to him by singing songs, or reflecting on his word through devotions. And of course there will be times when this may seem too difficult, and all we can seem to do is whisper out a prayer of praise and thanksgiving. The expression, “I will yet praise him” shows a sense of inner determination. Praising God in hard times doesn’t minimize the heaviness that you are feeling in your heart. Instead, it redirects that heaviness to focus on who God is. He is everything that we will ever need. That hasn’t changed. And it never will. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Eight Important Qualities of Your Future Husband
The willingness to grow closer to God always. Faith, is and always will be my number one priority. I am a strong believer that every relationship is stronger with Christ at the center. Having a passion for Christ, not only helps with commitment, patience and trust, but also helps to understand each other. A sense of humor Laughing is one of my favorite things to do, honestly, as corny as it sounds. If I had a dollar for every time I laughed until I cried, I would be filthy rich, no joke. There is just something about laughing in the moment, that is just so beautifully pure. The willingness to go on spontaneous adventures One of my most favorite things in life is to travel. My bank account says otherwise, but there is something about seeing God’s creation that reveals a whole different level of wow and I want him to strive to see and appreciate God’s beautiful creation. Communication All relationships have their ups and downs, but with great communication, it will be easier to deal with conflicts and ultimately make your relationship stronger. Often times many relationships struggle due to a lack of communication, resulting in a little bit of tension or awkwardness. A strong work ethic I come from a hard working family. My parents are two of the hardest working people I know. They provide a great example, giving me a reason to always pursue my goals. I believe that a strong work ethic will help him to build character and patience in the long run. Selfless attitude Always putting others before yourself is one of the most important things to do, especially as a follower of Christ. We are all called to shine Christ’s light wherever we go, and with whoever we meet. Christ is the most selfless person in the world, always doing what is in our best interest. Love for family and all of the crazy things that come along with it My family is crazy. It is as simple as that. We along with other families have our ups and downs, but we share some of the greatest moments, from laughs to cries, to the embarrassing amount of karaoke car rides. In the end, I want my future husband to have fun with my family and ultimately treat them like his own. Honesty is the best policy Honesty isn’t just about telling the truth, it’s about telling the truth in a way that will help each other benefit from it. Of course everyone loves to hear about all of the amazing things they are doing, but we can always benefit from making some adjustments here and there. Relationships start with sacrifices for each other. After all, God sacrificed his one and only son to die on the cross for the sins of the whole world, because he loves us so incredibly much. All in all, I look forward to spending my life with someone who will push me to be the best version of myself and ultimately grow together in Christ. Another year has come and gone. It is January 1st, 2020. People from all around the world are working hard to achieve their New Year's Resolutions. However, this year I have made it a priority to spend at least twenty minutes of my undivided attention on independent devotions, either through a devotional book or just simply reading a chapter and writing my own devotion. Twenty minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but to read and write about God’s word, without getting distracted for twenty straight minutes is kind of difficult. It is so easy to get distracted by our surroundings, which could be our phones, our siblings fighting over what movie to watch, homework, or even the intrusive thoughts roaming through our head.
As of January 1st, I have been working on Psalms, and reading a chapter a day, then writing how I can apply it to my life, and at the end I write three things that I am grateful for. Writing down what I am grateful for encourages me to really view the positive aspects of my life, or even more specifically that day. One devotion that really stood out to me was Psalms 1. Psalms 1: 1-2 says, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night.” Often in this world, we can get caught up in wicked ways of the world, whether that be through social media, or through our words and actions. On the positive side, those who meditate on the law of the Lord are continually reminded of their never ending blessings from the Lord. Remember today that God is watching over you, and is blessing you with more than you can even imagine! Always say thank you! Make this year great! Social Media. The downfall of our society lies in those two words. Rarely, will you see anything positive come out of social media. Many of the teenagers in this world struggle from mental and physical disorders due to an obsession with social media. It may be depression and the constant feeling of insecurity. It may the obesity from sitting in bed all day scrolling endlessly through Instagram or Twitter. While social media can be very beneficial in raising awareness, and keeping us updated about the world we live in, it is also used to spread hate and rumors, which is found commonly among teenagers. "Today's teenagers don't know how to disconnect." The 21st Century teenagers have grown up in a technologically based world. They haven't seen life without technology.
Unfortunately, on the same note, technology has made it easy for bullies to bully. Before all the technology, kids who were getting bullied, were safe once they got home. Now, all the bullies have to do is jump on social media, type a rumor, and send it to a group chat full of kids. On a different note. Losing the face to face interactions was crucial. In this day and age, many teenagers dread the thought of speaking in front of their peers, or even one on one with a teacher, because with constant use of social media, you lose that opportunity and experience. Sadly, many teenagers are missing the part where social media is breaking them down. Today teenagers are so caught up in how many likes they will get on their newest Instagram selfie, or number of comments telling them they are beautiful. When those likes and comments are lacking, teenagers tell themselves instantly that they aren't good enough. In their minds, they create this "perfect image" of what they strive to act, look, and think like. They want to change themselves in return for love from the outside world. Overall social media deprives teenagers of their own identity, and it is up to them to change that mentality positively, because all in all we were created to be unique in our own way. Romans 12:6 says, "We have different gifts according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy according to your faith." "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2
There is nothing wrong with being unique. Our modernized world has set many standards to live up to. Goals to achieve. Some of us may have experienced situations like these first hand. Social Media plays a substantial role in this. Scrolling endlessly through instagram, facebook, and twitter envying others' lifestyle, even when our lives are great. However wanting things is different than needing things. Aside from material things, there is the whole idea of fitting in. I have talked to many adults about their teenage years, and they shared with me that you don't need to drink and smoke to fit in. If you have to do that in order to fit in, it isn't worth it. It's ok to be different. Being different is exactly what God intended for us to do when he created us. Each and every person in this world has a different personality, appearance, and life. If we were all the same, the world wouldn't be very interesting, and we would all just be a bunch of robots. The amazing thing about Jesus Christ is that even as sinful as we are, he still loves us. In fact he loves us so much that he died on the cross for our sins, so that we wouldn't have to. If you ever feel like you don't fit in, just remember that you fit in to God's family, always. "So we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another." Romans 12:5 At Concordia Lutheran High School, we have small bible groups, composed of all ages, and they are known as Koinonia groups. In these groups we meet once a week, and dig deeper into God’s word and grow together in faith, along with a great snack to top it off! Koinonia. The dictionary defines this word as the following, "Christian fellowship or communion with God or, more commonly, with fellow Christians. Every year, Concordia Lutheran High School sends out about sixty Koinonia groups to serve others throughout the community. This year, my Koinonia group and I served at Lutheran South Unity School. There we taught second grade boys and girls about the wonderful gift of baptism, colored, danced, and made friendship bracelets with them. Above all, we got to share the greatest gift you can receive, God's undying love. It was heartwarming to see the smiles on their faces, when we told them that Christ willingly died on the cross for their sins.
A lot of people don’t enjoy serving others, or it simply makes them feel uncomfortable. However, serving others and seeing their thankful smiles, warms my heart. In a way these second grade girls and boys served me. Going there I was a little tired, and worrying about other unimportant things. Leaving I felt satisfied, knowing that I took the opportunity to share God’s love with these kids. Galatians 5:13 says, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one humbly in love.” Paul encourages us to use our freedom, not just for ourselves, but for the well being of our neighbors, by showing Christ’s love through our service. Overall, I gained a tremendous perspective, and shared God’s word with children. Have you ever worried about something? Have you ever lost sight of the bigger picture? Have you ever lost your trust in God, because you think you can handle it on your own? I don't know about you, but my answer to all of those questions is yes. Anything in this sinful world can take our trust away from God in the blink of an eye. The key is to overcome these fears, and then leave it up to God.
Fear is one of the strongest feelings a person can possess. Satan uses fear to throw God under the bus, making us think that we shouldn't trust in God. As a part of our sinful nature, we tell ourselves we are in control, and that it is our job to fix the problem. A part of the fear that we possess, Satan plants illusive thoughts in our minds such as, “What will they think of me?”, “What happens if I trust in God, and he doesn’t help me?” Satan loves when we have this mentality, because we simply aren’t trusting in God, we are thinking about anything and everything that could go wrong. Even though in the end, God has control over everything. Often this modernized world makes us feel as if we aren’t good enough. That no matter what, nothing we do will ever live up to the “right standards”. These feelings get the best of us, and we lose sight of the bigger picture, which is that God loves us and will take care of us no matter what. Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” This passage reassures us that God always has our back and always will, even when we don’t trust in Him and try to take matters into our own hands. Trust in the Lord your God, not in the worldly things. Success is an incredibly influential word. Throughout the world we live in, there are many people who are considered successful. They might be our favorite singers, artists, athletes, and actors. Their hard work and success is what inspires us each and everyday. While we unfortunately may not become famous from our hard work, we should still be motivated to succeed in our goals. The journey towards success demands that we understand our goals and confidently work hard to achieve them. No one has ever become successful with just the snap of their fingers. Success is also not considered simple. Hard work is the key to success. If time and hard work isn’t invested, success will not be achieved. “If you work hard enough and assert yourself, and use your mind and imagination, you can shape the world to your desires” (Gladwell 151). Gladwell expresses to us that through hard work and perseverance, we will find success in our personal goals. About a year ago, I had an unexpected surgery on my ankle. I was scared. I wasn’t able to do anything. I encountered mental and physical obstacles. While my sisters went on bike rides around the neighborhood, I would sit inside on the couch and think about how much I wanted to exercise, let alone walk. As I was released to walk, I went to physical therapy, I was determined to push myself to regain strength. I worked hard, until I was released to play sports. I worked on regaining my strength and endurance, and I never gave up because I had an interminable passion and determination inside of me. Nobody wakes up with all of their goals accomplished. Patience is crucial on the journey to success, along with a tough mentality. Don’t give up, great achievements take time! |
AuthorHello! Welcome to my blog, I am an AP English student. Archives
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