Day 170: Recap!

Day 163: When Fear Is Good

Today we talked about how fear can be a good thing and how it can drive our faith. We focused on Psalms 56:3 and Proverbs 9:10.

"Fear turns us to God. Fear moves us to act. Fear does something to us that bravery can’t, it reveals our weakness, and therefore our need for God, in whom we get our strength and courage."

Day 164: We Don't Have Forever

Today we talked about we don't have forever to get things going or moving in our lives as well as how things in our lives don't last forever. We talked about how to cherish the moments we have be cause we know that time won't slow down for us. We focused on Psalms 146:2 and 4.

"Everything has an end, nothing lasts forever. I believe that God places us where we are for a reason. Where we are is exactly where He wants us to be. He has us where we are whether it’s for a season or a lifetime. It’s his plan. While we’re there we must make the most of it. Cherish the time we have because like I said, and I can’t stress enough, it doesn’t last forever."

Day 165: It Was Impossible

Today we talked how it was impossible for Jesus to be held by the chains of death, and how He defeated death on our behalf. We focused on Acts 2:24, John 10:17-18 and John 14:6.

" Jesus came and took on our invisible battles, He came and fought a fight that one, we could not win, and two, a fight that we could not see we were losing."

Day 166: But What You Didn't Know

Today we talked about the bigger picture that we sometimes don't see until alls said and done. How we don't understand what God is doing until He is done. We focused on Acts 3:17-18.

" The craziest thing is when we finally see the bigger picture and we start to piece together the pieces of our lives that played a role in where we are today, it’s mind-blowing and amazing, because we will start to understand not only how good God is, but also that He has His hand on us every second of our lives. "

Day 167: Crown of Thorns

Today we talked about humble beginnings and how Jesus wore a crown of thorns before He ascended into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father. We focused on John 19:2.

"We have to learn to enjoy humble beginnings because it will prepare us for what is to come.  We will have to endure some hard times in life before we get to the parts of our lives we want to share with everyone."

Day 168: If This Is God

Today we talked about the apostles being persecuted and put in prison. We talked about how the word of God is not only unstoppable but incorruptible. We focused on Acts 5:33-42.

"There is something and someone that we can trust in that is untouchable. That is a beautiful thing. We live in a very corruptible world, where everything including humanity can be tainted. It’s wonderful to trust in or have faith in something that can’t be corrupted even in a world full of corruption."

I love you all and thank you for sticking with me this far, we are almost halfway through and every day has been wonderful as well as challenging. Some days are harder than others, but I am beyond grateful God has trusted me with something so beautiful and magnificent. Thank you again and Happy Father's Day to all the Fathers out there. You are amazing. Enjoy you day with you father or as a father, or spend the day, like me, remembering your father. I love you, have an amazing day. Be sure to come back tomorrow for Day 171!

Day 135: Recap!

First off Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there.  Happy Mother's day to all the Mothers that read this blog.

Dear Moms,
Thank you for bringing us into this world and threatening to take us out from time to time. We love you, even though sometimes we get on your nerves, make you mad, and have even made you cry. Despite all of that we love you and thank you for all you do for us. We love you, mom!

Day 128: If It Had Not Been for the Lord

Today we talked about what we really mean when we say, "If it had not been for the Lord..." We focused on Psalms 94:16-19, 22, and Psalms 94:22.

"When we look back over our lives and when we see where we came from we will see that God has had His hand on us all along."

Day 129: God is Not a Feeling

Today we talked about feelings and how we sometimes let our feelings dictate our faith. We focused on Jeremiah 17:9, 1 John 3:20, and Romans 10:9.
"Sometimes when it comes to our faith we have to ignore our feelings and not allow them to dictate what we believe to be true about God."

Day 130: No Picking and Choosing

Today we talked about how we sometimes pick and choose which parts of the bible we will live by, and what we agree with when it does not work that way. It's all or nothing. We focused on James 2:10-11, 2 Peter 2:21, and James 4:17.

"We have this ‘good enough’ attitude, that we aren’t doing everything we should or could be doing but what we are doing is ‘good enough’."

Day 131: The Idea of God

Today we talked about how we can be in love with the idea of something or someone rather than the thing itself. We often do this to God. We focused on Matthew 6:21, 1 John 4:19, and Isaiah 40:28.

"We find comfort in knowing of God, but it’s just enough so we do not have to entertain the actuality of having a relationship with Him."

Day 132: A Dose of Humility

Today we talked about humility and how our generation could use a huge dose of it. We talked about the need to be selfless in this day and age. We focused on quite a few scriptures today, Proverbs 11:2, Matthew 23:11-12, Matthew 18:4, James 4:10, Philippians 2:3, and 2 Chronicles 7:14.

"Sometimes we are so focused on ourselves that we don’t really see what’s right in front of us, we don’t see the world because we are too consumed with self."

Day 133: The Golden Rule

Today we talked about respect and how we treat others in comparison to how we not only treat ourselves but expect to be treated by others. We focused on Matthew 6:31 today.

"We all have standards of what we will allow and what we won’t. We all have lines that we draw that people are not allowed to cross. We have a basic understanding of how we should be treated, about how we expect to be treated by our peers. What if we take all those standards, those lines that are not to be crossed, that basic understanding of how we are to be treated; what if we take that and apply to how we treat others? "

I love you, I hope you have an amazing Day and even better Mother's Day. Enjoy your day and/ or evening, be sure to go over what we talked about this week and come back tomorrow for Day 136!

Day 52: Role Models

1 Corinthians 11:1

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

Before we go too deep into this I would like to point out that the ultimate role model is Christ. We model our lives after the life he led. Our lives are moulded and shaped to fit the life of Christ. We learn to take the steps He took, we learn to love like He loves, live like He lives. Not by word alone, but because He gave us an example, He came down to earth and showed us how to live, and live freely and abundantly.  We get our instruction from Christ. He is our example, He is our role model, we look to Him for guidance and direction. With that being said, as we start to walk to this walk with Christ and live this holy and righteous life we will start to notice people following our example. We will start to lead God’s people to Him by living according to His word. Due to this we must make sure that we are not leading His people astray, that we are following Christ as they follow us.

When I became a Christian and eventually and youth pastor something my mom told me that I will never forget is, “Sometimes you’re the only Jesus people will ever see. You’re the only bible some people will ever read.” This struck me, as I began to realize that we are quite literally, ambassadors of Christ. We represent His Kingdom, and if we are going to do it, we must do it right, because it is a dangerous thing to lead God’s people astray.Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through whom they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble (Luke 17:1-2).

When I think about being a role model or an ambassador for Christ, i think about the generation coming up after us. We have a duty to be for them what the generation either was or wasn’t for us. I think about my younger cousins, and their friends, and how they are watching me more than I know. I didn’t grow up with great examples as far as older siblings and cousins, I’m just being honest. So I made it my mission to be the person I needed when I was younger, I made it my duty to be the example to my younger cousins that I did not have or needed when I was their age. I have been given this gift, and this knowledge, I’d be cheating God’s people if I didn’t share it.

-Dyamond

We must be an example to those coming up after us, teaching them  the ways of the Lord. Teaching them what it means to truly live. We must teach them integrity, morals, the word of God. It starts with us. We have to be the person we needed when we were younger, so another one coming up can look up to us as an example. That's also our duty. To teach our little ones. It is so important to stress this because we know what it’s like to be their age. We know the awkward changes, the things they think no one understands. We have been there, and it wasn’t that long ago. A lot of times young people rebel, and they won’t listen to their parents, but we might have a platform to reach them, being closer to their age than their parents. We can use that platform to instill morals and Christlike values into them. It's takes a village. We are now part of that village. Lend a helping hand. Don't talk about this corrupt upcoming generation. Help weed it out. Purify it. Pray for them, reach out to them. We were once in their shoes and God sent someone to help us.  We must lift up our kids and teens even if we didn't give birth to them. We cannot watch them go down wrong path. Not when we can help them down the right one.

Reflection

1. Does the life you live represent Christ?
2. Do you believe that it is your duty to lead people to Christ?
   
   

Prayer Time

Today take the time to reflect on what it means to be an ambassador of Christ. Allow your answers to the question above guide you prayer. Pray for the generation coming up after us. Lift up the kids and teenagers in your life, community, church. Keep them lifted up in prayer.