Get up, get out there, and do something!

Enough with excuses!

  So today I want to talk about something that isn't at all that related to the bible and God. It's about your life. Okay your probably thinking, "how is my life not related to God?" Well what I mean by that is how are you living your life.

   I have a few friends who act like they can't do anything to get out of the present situation they're in. Say you have no job, aren't in school and chill around the house all day, but are depressed because you want to get out of there. Or you are stuck in a dead end job with no means of going anywhere and you hate it.

   When people ask what you are going to do, do you say something along the lines of, " I just can't get out of this situation. I have nothing to live for, I just want to get out, blah blah blah ( I added the blahs for extra effects. :)) "

  Here is my advice, ready for it? GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING!! You sit around the house and do nothing all day everyday and you hate it, change it. Go find a job, find a hobby, go back to school...do somthing! You are stuck in a dead end job that is getting you absolutely no where fast. Quit that job and find something better! Want to know the secret to success, the secret to being happy, get up, get out there, and change.

   This is your life, your choices. You choose who and what you live for. You choose who you love. You choose how you treat others. You get to decide how to live your life. Enough with all the excuses, get up, get out there and start living. You don't like yourself, do something you can be proud of. Go for a run, go on a mission trip, feed the homeless,  complete school. Set a goal for yourself and beat it. Stop coming up with excuses of why you can't. Instead come up with reasons why you can!

  If you come to me, and start complaining about how much you hate your life and want to do something different. I will be forced to make you read this post. Which you should read anyway because it is pure truth!

  In the words of ...well me... get up, get out there, and do something!

  And that's who Jessica wants to be!

You make me beautiful, You make me stand in awe!

 What is beauty really? Does it come from the outside or does it start on the inside? What causes us to feel like we aren't beautiful? Today I want to attempt to answer these questions and more.  

  Do you ever have one of those nights or days where you just don't feel good about yourself? Let me tell you, last night was one of those nights. I felt really bad about myself. I even texted my sister in law asking what was wrong with me. I know that Satan was attacking me big time. I think that is where the thoughts started. He whispered in my ear, "you just aren't good enough." You know what I did, I rolled with it. I let it eat at me, until I felt sick. I even started to believe it. As I started believing it, he added more, "why would anyone want to be your friend? Look at you, your not good enough? Why would you be? You aren't pretty enough? Something is wrong with you!" They went on and on and I listened and listened. I believed every one of his lies. You know Satan is the father of lies (that's a whole other blog post. That I will write later).

   As I struggled with these thoughts, and feelings, God did an amazing thing. He used my sister in law to tell me something. Random side note; God speaks to everyone in different ways. Some people He speaks to through songs. Some people He speaks to through signs. He uses the bible the most, I think. Well He is so amazing and knows me so well. He knows that for some reason, those other ways don't work as well for me. For some reason I still don't get it through my stubborn head, unless He tells me it through somebody else who I look up to and are God fearing people of course. So this morning I got a phone call from my sister in law. She reminded me of something I had completely forgot. God made each of us in His own image. She asked me this question that I think we all need to ask ourselves. "Who made you? God. So who are you to say whether or not you are good enough? " That is such an important question. God made each of us in His image. He made each of us unique and special. We are beautiful because He makes us beautiful. We are wonderful because He makes us wonderful. There are countless bible verses that have to do with this, that she sent me. Here are just a few of them. Also because I am such a big fan of music, a song comes to mind. Watch the video if you haven't already. :)

 Genesis 1:27: So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them.

 1 Samuel 16:7: ...The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.

Proverbs 31:30(one of my favorite verses, random side note): Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

1 Peter 3:4: Instead it should be that of your inner self; the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of greath worth in God's sight.

Oh I almost forgot, our beauty starts from the inside out. When we allow God to make us beautiful on the inside, that beauty can't help but coming rushing out. Our beauty is an inside out deal, not an outside in deal! 

 And that's who Jessica wants to be!
  

Waterfall of tears!

Tears

 Normally I write thoughts of encouragement. Well tonight I will add some encouragement I'm sure but I may vent a bit as well.

   Wow these last two days have been horrible. One of my closest friends decided last night that he no longer wants to speak to me or anyone for that matter.  I have to say, I never thought it would hurt so much. I have been on the verge of tears all day. One thing goes wrong, I cry. Pretty much everything makes me think of him, and the tears com flowing like a waterfall. I just want to crawl in a hole and die. I know it is my fault that he left abruptly. I keep getting told not to beat myself up over it. That it's not my fault, when I know it is. I have to remember that friendships end and that I will make it through this. But that doesn't help, it is so hard to be happy, when I just want to cry. I can't seem to focus on anything, so I don't. I just cry instead!
  
  You know, it is ok to hurt. Jesus hurt and wept, so I can too. But as I weep, I can't help but search for encouragement. So I search through the best place I know of... God's word. I also listen to music to help, so a song that I have been listening to is what love really means by JJ Heller. It helps a bit as well!

He cries in the corner where nobody sees
He's the kid with the story
No one would believe
He prays every night
"Dear God won't you please
Could you send someone here
Who will love me?"

Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done
Or what I will become
Who will love me for me
'Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means

Her office is shrinking a little each day
She's the woman whose husband has run away
She'll go to the gym after working today
Maybe if she was thinnerThen he would've stayed
And she says...
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/jj_heller/what_love_really_means.html ]
Who will love me for me
Not for what I have done
Or what I will become
Who will love me for me
'Cause nobody has shown me what love
What love really means
What love really means

He's waiting to die as he sits all alone
He's a man in a cell who regrets what he's done
He utters a cry from the depths of his soul
"Oh Lord, forgive me, I want to go home"

Then he heard a voice somewhere deep inside
And it said,
"I know you've murdered and I know you've lied
And I have watched you suffer all of your life
And now that you'll listen I'll, I'll tell you that I..."
I will love you for you
Not for what you have done
Or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew
Love you for you
Not for what you have done
Or what you will become
I will love you for you
I will give you the love
The love that you never knew


 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Ephesians 3:17-19Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

James 1:2-4
² Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,^[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Romans 8:28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 And that's who Jessica wants to be!

Why I am a Christian! :)

I love Him because He loved me first!

    I have a few friends who don't believe in God. Better yet they don't like Christians. They have tons of reasons why. There are whole articles on why they choose not to be Christian. So I have decided I want to give my side. My reasons why I follow God.

With all that said, here are a couple reasons why I am Christian. Let's not call it Christian. Let's just say, a few reasons why I choose Jesus as my savior. The most important reason is because He loves me so much that He chose to die for me and every human on this earth. I love Him because He first loved me. Why He chose to love me, a sinner who deserves death I will never know but I am sure glad He did. Without God I don't know how I could live. Honestly I can't live a day without God so I continue to choose Him because He chose me! :)
 
    Honestly if the world is right and the bible is wrong then I have nothing to lose. You know why? The worl Next because what if the bible is right and the world is wrong? What if there is a heaven and there is a hell? What if I chose to not believe God and the bible is right? Let me just say, I don't want to know or experience what hell is like ever. I want to spend eternity in God's arms. So I choose to love God and serve Him along. I choose to follow God because if the bible is right I want to be following hard after God and go to heavend believes that once you die there is nothing after that. So if  I'm wrong I have nothing to worry about.

     Finally, I trust God because I love loving people. To be a follower of God means to love Him with all my heart, soul, and mind. It also means loving people. He calls His children to love the people of this world. I know so many people who call themselves followers of God don't live for Him. They act one way at church and then they go to school or work and act a completely different way. I know I'm not perfect and I mess up every single day but that is why I need Jesus. I choose God will you?

  And that is who Jessica wants to be!

Modesty= beauty!

Modesty is the best!

  You know what bugs me? Women who say things like, "that guy needs to man up, and not look at me like I am a piece of meat," while she is dressed like a prostitute. Ladies may I let you in on a little secret? God made guys not only visual creatures but also sexual. So ladies remember that next time you decide to dress provocatively that you are bringing your brother in Christ down. We as sister's in Christ ought to be lifting our brothers up and not causing him to sin. Everytime you show too much skin, you are causing him to sin and think sexual thoughts. Quit acting like it's all his fault and look in the mirror before you leave your room. Think about him for a change. He can't just stop those thoughts.

  " I was reading a article about a event called the slut walk. Women walking in this thing are dressed in skanky outfits! Many wear shirts saying, "proud to be a slut." " To that end, SlutWalkers sport T-shirts and signs with slogans like, “Sluts pay Taxes,” or “I’m Proud to be a Slut.” Many protesters dress provocatively, in skimpy leather thongs, bras, skank-boots, and fishnet stockings, paint the word “slut” on their bare skin, or skate around on inline skates in lingerie. Their male supporters wear shirts that read, “I Love Sluts!” The message is that it’s misogynistic when men categorize women as sluts, but it’s empowering when women define themselves as such. Women have the right to be as slutty as they want to be." - from the girls gone wise website.

   Do you think dressing like this helps or hinders guys? Obviously it hinders them. So quit acting like it's all the guys fault and be the sister's in Christ you ought to be. Dress modestly. Besides do you really want to marry the type of guy that is into the provocative type? I hope that answer is a no! I hope you want a Godly man that is respectful and someone you feel confident and safe with. Trust me those type of guys are looking for a Godly, lovely, beautiful, modest woman.  Let me repeat that last one, modest woman.Yes you can be modest and beautiful, in fact a Godly guy prefers you that way! :) Dressing provocatively shows guys you are none of the above and they will run fast away! So be a modest woman of God who dresses and acts that way.

  That's who Jessica wants to be!

Growing in God!:)

God loves when you read His word!

     All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. -2 Timothy 3:16

    This is such an amazing verse, but there is only one way this verse can come true. If we are in daily prayer and read our bible daily. How can you teach God's word if you don't know it yourself. Daily and constant communication with God is the key.

   God wants us to grow in our relationship with him. He doesn't want us to stay in one spot, and think we can get by in life with just that. We need to be constantly growing in Him. I don't care how old you get, there is always going to be areas you struggle with. There are always going to be areas that you need to grow in. That is what God wants to do, but He won't do that if you don't ever talk to Him. The only way to grow in Him is by constant communication.

   Think of it this way. Say you are in a relationship with the opposite sex. You have boyfriend or for guys a girlfriend but you only talk to them or spend time with them when you feel like it. Let's say you feel like it every once in a while. They try to reach out to you but you ignore their phone calls, text messages, everything. Will that relationship ever grow? I highly doubt it. After a while of this, they will get fed up and eventually walk away. The only difference between God and this person is that God won't walk away. He wants to have that relationship with you. He wants to spend as much time with you as possible. So read that bible and listen while He speaks through it. Talk to Him, and spend time in His presence. Sing songs of praise to Him.

  I want to leave you with a challenge. Try digging into the word daily for two weeks and see what happens. Talk to God through this time. Try singing a song of praise to God alone in your room. I would then love to hear from you, your experience after doing these things for that time.

  And that's who Jessica wants to be!

Where you go I'll go!

STOP!! Before you read any farther listen to this song.

   I was having a conversation the other day with a friend who said that God doesn't care where you are, He will use you anywhere. I have to disagree with that. God has a specific plan and purpose for our lives, and He calls us to go to different places. Yes I believe in callings where as some would disagree.

   As I listen to the words of this song, I believe Chris Tomlin feels the same way. He will go where God calls him, he will move when God says move or stay. God is his everything, so when d says go, he goes.

  Another great example of someone who chose to go where God called him...Paul. Paul was doing so much as a leader of the first church but when God called him to leave and speak good news to new nations, what did he do? He went, he followed. The whole book of acts speaks of Paul's journeys, where God called him to go.

  . Do some use God's calling as an excuse to get out of things? Yes, but if you feel like God is really leading you somewhere don't hesitate, just go. I have moved multiple times in the past two years, why? I felt God was saying yes, go, so I went. Now I am home again but I know without a doubt God called me to come back

  So does God call you places? Yes, yes He does. Just look at Paul! :)

   And that's who Jessica wants to be!