CREATIVITY

Mind Blown

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. 

Psalm 139:13&14

It is so extremely hard for me to even imagine being shy, I wonder if a shy person would be nervous to do half the things that I do, and consider normal? I think, literally all the time, about just different personalities. What I have gathered from all this thinking is that I am very different, it makes me laugh, I don't think twice about talking to someone, speaking my mind (which is not always good haha) , being loud, having a good time, meeting new people, or talking to strangers. I am super "outgoing". I could literally talk to a wall for hours, most people probably start talking to me, and then after 10 or 15 minutes of me going on and on about something they probably wish they never would of said hello. I absolutely love when people really invest in my life, and genuinely care. I enjoy that feeling of someone caring for me, maybe that is why I enjoy caring for others. 

Talk about people investing in my life. God is literally pursuing me right now, crossing the oceans, crossing the universe! That is an investment. 

I have really come to realize that nobody is truly "just like me"! Which sounds dumb, like "duh Margaret, we are all different", but we are like DIFFERENT! A friend at work told me how he thought it was interesting that all five of my siblings and I turned out so different, and I never really thought about it, but we are all so different!! Yet we all came from the same parents, lived in the same house and so on. 

Maybe you have thought about this more, but it has been consuming my mind lately! I really can't put it into words how I feel, God made ME. 

God. Made. Me. 

Oh my goodness, we call some people on this earth "creative", but look at what God has done, created each and everyone of us. And we are all SO DIFFERENT! He created, creativity!!!So creative!!!!! He molded us into what we are! 

 

God knit me together, this may sound strange, but girl, I knit a lot.  My Mema taught me how to knit when I was pretty young and ever since then, I have done a lot of knitting. One thing that I love about knitting, is that while I am doing it, I hold the needles in my hand, and I feel the yarn, and I know I have control over whatever I am making, I know I can make it into anything I want, after I am done, I hold up that scarf  or hat, whatever it might be, and say wow, I made this. I have touched every little fiber of  yarn.

I AM THE SCARF!

God held me up and said, look at this beautiful scarf that I have created!! I have created everything about her, and I think she is beautiful. 

If that isn't investment, I don't know what is. 

 

People talk about being "mind blown", where they don't comprehend something very well so they just say "mind blown", and that gets the point across that they can't describe it, because they can't put it into words. Well I am totally mind blown. I hope some of this makes sense, because I have been thinking about all of this a lot lately, but if not, hey! We can be mind blown together!

Photo of The Day

This is my sweet, sweet Mema. I take her supper a few nights a week, and lately I have just really enjoyed going over to her house, probably because she likes to talk just as much as I do and we get along very well. She makes me laugh a lot. I don't know, I thought I should share this beautiful woman with you!

Song of The Day

I love this song, it holds a special place in my heart, there are not a ton of words, but there is power in this simplicity, for sure. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCiOL7PIi0o

I lean not on my own understanding
My life is in the hands of the Maker of heaven

I give it all to You God
trusting that you'll make something beautiful out of me

There's nothing I hold on to
There's nothing I hold on to
There's nothing I hold on to
There's nothing I hold on to

I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open

I will climb this mountain with my hands wide open 

MY LIFE is in the hands of the maker of heaven. My life is in the hands of the maker of you. My life is in the hands of the maker of me. 

Think about it. 

What I'm Thankful For

Christlike people, who do nice things, and encourage me. 

Also laughter, I was thinking today how much I LOVE laughter. 

We Have a Comforter

Oppression 

"Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun: I saw the tears of the oppressed- and they have no comforter; power was on the side of their oppressors- and they have no comforter."

 Ecclesiastes 4:1

Ecclesiastes 4, verses 1 through 12, hit me so hard. The first time I read this verse, I thought about the word oppression. Prolonged cruel or unjust treatment. Oppression causes mental pressure, and distress. 

I think about the people around me who do not know Christ, they wake up everyday and face oppression, and I wake up everyday and see their tears, I see them hurting, but what am I doing about it? I WANT them to know Christ, but somehow, I let myself think, "Oh it might be awkward, I don't know what they might think, if I bring up Christ."

Sometimes in our human minds we somehow try to define God, but what we don't understand is that HE defines us! He created this world and everything in it! And yet, I try to put him into my little "God box". 

How can I not share this amazing God with everyone I know!? These people have no comforter! They literally need Jeaus, more than anything else! 

This may sound silly, but if you literally had the cure for cancer. I don't know you are storing it in your refrigerator or something, but if you had it, you would not just let it sit there on the shelf!!! You would share it with everyone who had cancer!!!

If you know Christ, if you have tasted this amazing God, how can you not share? 

We are made to tell others about Christ, we need this community of believers around us, commit to him! 

If you are not chasing God, you are just chasing the wind. 

Photo of The Day

This was the group that we took to centrifuge, I love each and everyone of them, I am so blessed to be a part of this family. I am so very excited to learn more with them and grow in Christ together. 

Song of The Day

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d5bu2CEMvpw

Safe from all the raging storms
Find me in Your loving arms
Free from all my doubt and fears
I have found a haven here

Hallelujah
He is with me
I am not alone

Your Love is sweeter than honey
Your Love is stronger than death
Your Love lifts me of my burdens
Teaches me To dance


Lockstep with my God and King
Move in perfect harmony
Feel the rhythms of His Heart
Know the Joy that He Imparts

Hallelujah
He is with me
I am not alone

Your Love is sweeter than honey
Your Love is stronger than death
Your Love lifts me of my burdens
Teaches me To dance

Your Love is sweeter than honey
Your Love is stronger than death
Your Love lifts me of my burdens
Teaches me To dance
To Dance

I absolutely love this song, his love is sweeter than honey, and it is stronger than death, he teaches me to dance through everything. This song, calms me down, and reminds me how blessed I am. I love it, love it, love it!

Thankful Thought of The Day

Kyle will be coming home from Wyoming this week, I am so thankful for the time that he has spent there, I know God is working in his life, and I am excited to hear all about it! I do miss him though, and I am ready to see him!

Work Hard!

"Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you."

Matthew 7:7

I am leaving in the morning for Centrifuge camp. I'm pretty excited to go! It is such a wonderful opportunity for me to grow closer to my youth group and grow in my personal relationship with God. 

This verse has been on my heart lately, and I have camp in mind so this is what I am taking from it (this verse is also an awesome example of a verse that you can read 1000 times and take something different from it every time, it has encouraged me manyyyyyy times.)

Many kids go to a camp like this for the first time, and trust me, they will feel something. There is just something about "camp". You know you are surrounded by people who basically share the same beliefs as you, and so that is why I have been thinking lately, "camp" is the easy part. 

"Camp" is one week in the summer where you go off, away from your family for a week and have some fun,and learn a lot about God.

But if that is where it stops...

If the highlight of your year as a Christian is "camp", man, you have missed some awesome opportunities...

Kids go off to camp and have this amazing experience, and then somehow, a year has passed and it is time to go again, and you find yourself in the camp-cycle, BUT! Keep asking and you will recieve! Keep knocking! Wake up EVERYDAY, and say, "this one is for you God! I'm taking camp with me everywhere!"

We have to BRING IT BACK!

Bring "camp" back to your town, and your family and your church!! Share what you learn! Build relationships! And exemplify Christ!

Photo of the Day

Today durning my Chick-Fil-A break God was really showing me some things that he has ready for me to do.

"Work hard and become a leader."

Proverbs 12:14

I was planing on reading more than a few verses during break, but as soon as I hit this one... It all made sense, God has placed me where he has for a reason, and right now, I know he wants me to start working hard! Work hard at Chick-Fil-A, to build relationships in my workplace and make an impact. And also, (and my main focus for this week...) The younger people in my youth group, I know God wants me to be a leader, and I want to build relationships with them! They are all such awesome girls and guys! I'm so excited for this week! Keep my youth group and myself in your prayers. Love you guys!!

Song of the Day

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1b2M93tjzF0&feature=kp

Holy Design
This place in time
That I might seek and find
My God, my God

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You
Lord, I want to yearn

Your joy is mine
Yet why am I fine?
With all my singing and bringing grain
In lights of Him

I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You

Oh, You give life and breath
And in You we live and move
That's why I sing

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You
Lord, I want to yearn

I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You

Lord, I want to yearn for You
I want to burn with passion
Over You, and only You
Lord, I want to yearn

Thankful thought of the Day

I am so thankful for the opportunity to go to camp and to build these relationships!

Inner

Crimson stain

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and morrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires"

Hebrews 4:12

The Bible is the most personal book you will ever read. I can read the same passage and take a different message from it every time I read it. Because the word of God is alive and powerful. It will apply to every situation in your life, whatever difficulty you're going through you will find comfort in reading the Bible. When I am most stressed out, the most comforting thing is going and taking a moment to myself and reading. 

I'm pretty much a night owl, the last few nights I stayed up way past 12 o'clock. When I can't sleep I'm almost always reading, normally I sit at my desk, light my candle, read, and pray. 

It is so quiet. 

When you read the Bible it's going to make you think, it will expose your innermost thoughts and desires. When I think of the word "expose", normally I think "to make known", but the beautiful thing about a relationship with the Lord is, it is you and him. It is personal. It is the most peaceful, comforting, and beautiful thing you will ever be able to embrace. 

Reading your Bible is a beautiful way of getting to know your Lord more. When you learn more about him you will fall more and more in love with him. 

Photo of The Day

Pure. 

The picture goes along with the song today, when you listen to the song, which I'm sure most of you have heard before, (Although this is one of my favorite versions of the song- Kings Kaleidoscope ) really listen to the words, really concentrate, and imagine a field covered in snow. Think about how pure untouched snow looks. 

Song of The Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM6ZtLnRBTk

 

I hear the Savior say, 
“Thy strength indeed is small; 
Child of weakness, 
watch and pray, 
Find in Me thine all in all”. 

Lord, now indeed I find, 
Thy power and Thine alone, 
Jesus died my soul to save, 
And melt my heart of stone. 

Jesus paid it all, 
All to Him I owe. 
Sin had left a crimson stain, 
He washed it white as snow. 
And when before the throne, 
I stand in Him complete, 
Jesus died my soul to save, 

my lips shall still repeat: 
Oh praise the One, 
who paid my debt, 
And raised this life up from the dead.

Today I am thankful for my Chick-Fil-A family, I am so excited to grow even more with my fellow team members, I am so thankful for our leadership and the foundation of the corporation. It is more of a ministry than a business to me. I am very happy that God has placed me where he has. 

Give Me A Song

Peace

1 Peter 5:7

"Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you"

Constant state of worry, nervousness, scared of the future because you do not know what is going to happen in the future, anxiety. In my own life I have decided to give up my worries and my cares to God. I am not saying that I never worry, but I have peace.  I am not enough, God is working through me! I have to place all my hope in him, every ounce of trust has to go to him, and oh my goodness the peace that I find, when I know it is not up to me!

If I am searching for my own happiness in other people, I have taken the wrong path. If my source of happiness is a person, or activity, or any other thing that won't last, my journey will be so much harder, and less fulfilling than it would be with God. 

I am really just typing my thoughts here, these posts are not suppose to be "lessons" to anyone who might be reading them, I want to document my growth. I want to look back on these posts and see what was really on my heart.

And tonight, I have a lot on my heart, there are so many people around me who are hurting, families who are hurting! There is so much pain, and when I just try to think about all of it, it overwhelmes me. 

If I don't cast all of this anxiety on God it will probably like literally kill me. 

                 Dramatic I know.  

But oh my goodness, there are so many people who are hurting, I just have a lot of people on my heart tonight, and many of them are very close to me. Be praying for me, and these people in my life, I know that I am where I am for this very reason. God has given me this heart for the hurting, I am glad that I have had the people around me that I have who have raised me the way that they have! I am so blessed to have this relationship with Christ, I am excited about growing with him everyday!

Photo of The Day

Great peace. 

Song of The Day

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LS4lM_mDEc

There’s not a prayer I’ve prayed
That You haven’t heard
Not a tear I’ve shed
That You didn’t feel
You’re the God who comes to raise the dead
I know You’ll raise me up again
I know You’ll raise me up again

Who can praise You from the grave
to see the life you gave
Just to see the life you gave

Just to see the life you gave
Every fear in me You’ve put to rest
It’s the song sing I bring
Of Your faithfulness

And every tear has led my feet to stand
Where the ocean meets the land
Where the ocean meets the land

Sink or swim I’m diving in
Where the river starts rushing
Where my heart starts beating
For the rhythms of the testing
And the songs of the trials
I will lift a cry up to You
Sung with hope inside my eyes

Sink or swim I’m diving in
To the passion of Your heart
Where love starts

I lift my hands if my hands fail me
I’ll bend my knees if my knees grow weak
I’ll raise my voice and sing, I’ll sing
I know that You love me

Give me a song to sing 
And I will sing it

Give me a song to sing 
And I will sing it to You God 

Give me a song to sing 
And I will sing it

Give me a song to sing 
And I will sing it to You God 

One of my favorite songs, really read the words, listen to how beautiful it is, let it sink in. I will lift my hands!

- I am thankful for my youth director Ashley, I am thankful that I can call her and she will always listen to whatever situation I have been placed in. She holds me accountable. I am thankful that she is in my life, I know God has reached me through her many times. 

Hallelujah

Whatever's in Front of Me

"Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need."
Matthew 6:33

Song of The Day

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-W7Md6mv74

 I want you to listen to this song before you read the post today. 

"Hallelujah"

Who can hold the stars
And my weary heart?
Who can see everything?
I've fallen so hard
Sometimes I feel so far
But not beyond your reach
I could climb a mountain
Swim the ocean
Or do anything
But it's when you hold me
That I start unfolding
And all I can say is
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah
The same sun that
Rises over castles
And welcomes the day
Spills over buildings
Into the streets
Where orphans play
And only you can see the good
In broken things
You took my heart of stone
And you made it home
And set this prisoner free
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever's in front of me
I'll choose to sing hallelujah



In my own life I know from experience that when I am seeking Christ in everything that I do, everything else will fall into place. God see's the good in my broken life and when I seek him he will make something beautiful out of me. My walk with Christ has to come above my grades, my boyfriend, my job, my friends, and as silly as it sounds, Christ has to be above social media. In my own life and I know in so many other girls my age, we spend so much time on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. It is amazing to think what would happen in my community if every bible verse that was posted was truly lived out. I want to see these big things happen. I just think about how many times a day I look at my phone to check new posts on Instagram or Snapchat, I'm sure if I actually counted it would be some crazy large number. I want to seek God more than I seek Instagram, I know it might seem silly, but it is just honest, and if you do not use social media than you might not even understand what I am talking about, but if you do use them, you will probably know what I am talking about. Really just something to think about. Social media can be an amazing tool to reach many people that you would not normally see or talk to. In my own life I am trying to use my social media to honor God. I am really trying to evaluate myself and my motives for posting things. I want to seek Christ above all else. He is so awesome, when I am seeking him, literally everything in my life will fall into place, and when things get difficult with my family or friends I will be able to respond with more Godly wisdom than I would ever be able to do on my own. This song blesses me so much when I listen to it. It reminds me that whatever is going on in my life, through all the trials and through all the heartache, when God is holding me, when I seek him, everything will start unfolding. Somedays I feel like I have fallen so hard, and I feel so far from God, but I can never go to a point where he cannot reach me. He will always be able to reach me. In my life there are so many people that are close to me that I want God to impact, and I have the great honor of being one of the many people that God might use to reach people. But what God has been showing me lately is that I will never be able to help anyone else, unless he helps me first. I have to seek God above everything and then I will be able to help others.


"My friend sang this song in front of our church right after she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. She had a beautiful voice and loved to worship God. She was steadfast in her walk through her battle with cancer. She always hoped for healing but trusted God. She changed my own walk with the Lord so much through her faith in God. She went home to be with the Lord Friday. She touched so many lives. I love you Rasha. Thank you"


This is a youtube comment from three years ago, on the song Hallelujah. I look at my own life and think about the trials that have been placed in my life right now. I want to use what is right in front of me. I do not have to go over seas or even to another town to make a difference for Christ. I have been planted right here in this town, in my family, school, church, and my job. I WILL make an impact here. I will not let this amazing opportunity pass by. I want people around me,and in my school to see what God has done in my life, and that is why I will not be silent. I refuse to let this pass, I will not let it pass. This woman, Rasha, was seeking Christ above all else in her life, and impacted this younger lady writing the comment, and impacts me reading it tonight.  That is why I shared it with you. I do not know why this comment touched me so much, but I knew that God wanted me to include it tonight.

Photo of the Day

Seek God first. Sometimes that means you have to refocus everything else, move things around. Do what you have to do. Because nothing else is this important. I will be praying for you this week!

Today I am thankful that I can go to God first in my life with my problems and he will always make me feel better, I am so thankful for my quiet time with God.