A New Year

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New year.

New beginnings.

New start.

New life.

New person.

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The start of a new year then is a chance for a fresh new start. We make New Year resolutions  to do something different in the New Year.

It's kind of that way with Jesus.

When we get saved it's like the new year starting... we have a fresh start at life. We are a new person. And like having New Year resolutions then we look at God's Word to do something different in our lives.

When you surrender your all to Christ than you have a new start, you are a new creation in Him.

2 Corinthians 5:17,

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come."

So as you go into this new year than ask yourself, "What do i want to do different?" 

Live for Christ completely, every day, every year.

Happy New Years!!!

Christ~Mas

Christ~Mas.

Jesus is the reason for the season.

I hear that all the time... but I wonder how many people really think about it? 

Christmas is celebrating Jesus's birth. It's celebrating Jesus.

Luke 2:7, "Then she gave birth to her firstborn Son, and she wrapped Him snugly in cloth and laid Him in a feeding trough—because there was no room for them at the lodging place."

It's easy for people (including me) to get caught up in the lights, pretty bows, and presents... we lose sight of what Christmas is really about. 

The name Christ is in Christmas... He is what Christmas is about.. He came to save and to redeem.

So this Christmas if you don't get what you really wanted than remember that you have the Greatest Gift ever available to you. Jesus.

Remember that Christmas is Jesus. Don't lose sight of Him in the flurry and busyness of the Christmas season.

Christmas is love, joy, peace, hope.... Jesus.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas!

Love Came Down

Love Came Down. 

I have never really thought about the meaning of the sentence--Love Came Down. 

Jesus humbled Himself to come onto earth. 

Luke 1:68, "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited

and provided redemption for His people."

John 3:16, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

God made had a plan. He loves us so He sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins so that we can have a relationship with Him.

Christmas is celebrating Jesus's birth... but it is also celebrating His death and resurrection because that is why He came. He came to save us.

Love came down. 

Merry Christmas!

You Are

All your life you are told who you should be. You are put up to a standard that our culture put up. 

You are told who you are. 

Are you really where you want to be?

If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior than you are brand new.

You are redeemed..

Psalms 31:5, "Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You redeem me, Lord, God of truth."

You are beautiful...

Song of Solomon 1:15, "How beautiful you are, my darling. How very beautiful!"

You are new...

2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come."

You are loved...

John 3:16, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

You are chosen...

John 15:16, "You did not choose Me, but I chose you."

And so much more....

Never forget Whose you are.

Be who you are in Christ Jesus

Impossible Made Possible

Every feel like something is too big for you to handle?

We've all been there. Thankfully for us we have a Creator who can do anything.

Matthew 19:26 says, "But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

God can do anything. If something is too big for you to handle talk to God. He's always there for you, He loves you. 

Nothing is impossible with God.

Thankful

Psalms 7:17, "I will thank the Lord for His righteousness; I will sing about the name of Yahweh the Most High."

Psalms 69:30, "I will praise God’s name with song and exalt Him with thanksgiving."

      Thanksgiving. What are you thankful for? Sometimes we are so caught up with what we don't have we forget to thank God for what we do have. What are you thankful for? Sometimes blessings come in disguise.We don't at first recognize the blessing, but later we are thankful. There is a song by Laura Story called "Blessings", I recommend you listen to it.

      We have so many reasons to be thankful, so this thanksgiving really count your blessings. Praise God for what He has given you. Be thankful.

Psalms 95:2, "Let us enter His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout triumphantly to Him in song."

Fall is Here - Poem

Fall is Here

The air cools down,

Dew rises from the ground,

Fall is here.

The smell of pumpkin pie. The beautiful orange and pink sky.

The breeze blows, the leaves lay down low.

Fall is here.

I watch the deer’s trot, and of the birds there are a lot.

The fireplace is roaring, the cinnamon spice smells amazing.

Fall is here.

What a wonderful time of the year,

My King, my God is here.

Fall is here.

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Psalms 148:1, "Hallelujah! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights."

Woman at the Well part 2

The woman at the well.

She was thirsty. It wasn't a physical thirst. It was a spiritual longing. She had a empty place in her. She was searching. She tried to fill that emptiness with men. That didn't work for her.

The woman had finally given up. She thought it was hopeless. Then Jesus came along. Jesus gave her hope. He gave her peace. He took away that emptiness. 

What are you trying to fill yourself with? Do you have a emptiness inside? You won't find happiness in the things of this world. Joy is only found in Jesus. Only Jesus can fill that emptiness inside.

Come to the well. Give Jesus your all.

Woman at the Well part 1

Psalms 42:1-2, "As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God. I thirst for God, the living God."

The woman at the well. You have probably heard this "story" a million times... but it is not just a story. It is true.

Jesus is walking to Galilee.

So Jesus takes the short route and walks through Samaria. That was unusual in  His day because the Jews considered the Samaritans "unclean" and they didn't want anything to do with them.

 Jesus walks up to a well and asks a Samaritan woman for some water. She is confused. She is a Samaritan, a woman, and is an outcast in her community. She asks Him why He would ask her for water. They converse for several minutes. He tells her things about her that are true. I guess you can just imagine how she feels... probably confused, wondering, and puzzled. Then Jesus tells her about a living water. He tells her about Him, and who He is. She believes and goes into her town and tells everyone about what Jesus told her.

She probably thought -at first- that she was worthless, unloved, unimportant. Jesus showed her that she is priceless, loved, and very important. 

We can learn from this.

We are loved, priceless, special, important, and valued to our heavenly Father. 

We who believe are daughters of the One True King.

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Go deeper: read John 4:1-42

The Depths of God's Love

I could never write the depths of God's perfect love.

No one could ever.

It is beyond our human understanding.

But I can tell you this:

if you were the only one on earth Jesus would have still died for you. He would do it all over again.

He died on a cross because He loved us, knowing He may not be loved back.

John 3:16, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

1 John 4:8, "The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

1 John 4:19, "We love because He first loved us."

There are many verses in the Bible about love. Look for them. Pray to know the depths of God's love.

Self throne

So we have all sat on a "self throne".

We only get off if we let God take control of our lives. 

When we accept Jesus into our hearts then He takes over, but sometimes we still want to be in control.

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 I realized that I was still trying to be in control. It was all about me. Sarah first. But I knew that I'm not supposed to be selfish. 

Sometimes we struggle with things, but we don't even realize we do (but that's for another blog).

Matthew 20:16 says,  “So the last will be first, and the first last.”

So Jesus tells us to be selfless. Not be selfish. That can be hard. But Jesus not only tells us to be humble and selfless, He showed it through His actions (John 13:1-17).

J.O.Y

Jesus first, others second, yourself last.

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So remember, put God first. Be selfless. Let God take over your life.

Poem - Amazing Love

You sent Your Son to died on a tree

 no one but You would do that for me. 

You sacrificed Your life because of Your love, 

You carried the burdens, You carried the shame 

even though You didn't do a thing.

What amazing love You must have for me

You broke the chains

 You set me free

for that I owe You my everything.

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John 3:16,

"For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."

Trials, Temptations, Tough Times

Trials. Temptations. Tough times.

We go through things... some things people never even know we go through.

Sometimes God allows us to go through things to help us grow in our walk with Him.

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I moved two years ago to Wilmington. It was a really hard time for me. I had to say goodbye to my friends..... and if you've ever had to do that then you know how hard that is!

But God used that hard time to make me grow, to grow in my walk with Him.

James 1:2-4 says, 

" Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

So be thankful if you are or have gone through tough times, temptation, trials..... because if you look close enough you can see how God used that for the our good.

So remember, God can turn hard times into a time to grow.

Overload

Ever feel overloaded? Or that you had to much to do?

I have felt that I was taking on too much to write. I mean I want to write songs, blogs, devotionals, books and more. So at times I feel like it is too much. At times I feel overloaded with homework. Ever feel that way? You probably have. 

Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

Jesus is always there to help you along. He is always there for you. 

So if you ever feel overloaded with school, hobbies, or anything than remember where your strength comes from. Jesus Christ.

Lies, Lies, Lies

"You will never be worth it." "You will never be beautiful." "You weigh to much." "Everyone's judging you." "No guy will ever like you." "No one wants to be your friend."

These are some of the lies Satan loves to whisper in your ear. Satan is also referred to as the ' Father of Lies' in the Bible. 

How do we overcome these lies in our lives?

One way is to spend time in the Truth, God's Word. Satan wants to keep you from reading the Bible. He doesn't want you to become closer to God, he hates you. God loves you. 

James 4:7, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

Do not believe Satan's lies. Spend time in the Truth so that you will recognize those lies for what they are. Always be on guard.

Spend time in the Truth. Pray to God to help you.

A Poem - Grace

There was something different about her. Everyone knew it. She walks with grace, no, she walks in grace. She is compassionate, she cares about others. She is kind, and is sweet to everyone she meets. She is joyful, gives a smile to those she see's. She is beautiful, inside and out. She is humble, and selfless. She is an encouragement to others. She is funny. She isn't perfect, but no one is. She is different because she is in Christ.

Dedicated to my loving sister Lauren, each of these things is true about her.

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Proverbs 31:25 says,
" Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. "

Fear

Fear.

What are you afraid of? Maybe of the dark? Snakes? Public speaking?

We are all afraid of something... it's hard not to be afraid. But there is something that can come out of fear. Courage. Courage doesn't mean the absences of fear, it means you are afraid but you are brave enough to do the right thing. 

We can also find refuge in Christ. Jesus is bigger than your fears.. He is bigger than anything. Now why do you need to be afraid? Maybe you are afraid of death? If you are a follower of Jesus then you don't need to be, because you would go to heaven. And God is always with you.

Psalm 56:3 says, " When I am afraid, I will trust in You."

Next time you are afraid then remember, God is always with you.

Step Out

We all have a comfort zone. So we want to stay inside of it because it is comfortable to us.

Sometimes God calls us to step out of our comfort zone to do what He has called us to do.

Katie Davis. She had a comfortable life here in America. She had her boyfriend, friends, family, a large house, and could go shopping. But God had called her to Uganda. She went. She is still there. You can learn more about her amazing story on her blog kissesfromkatie@blogspot.com or you could read her book Kisses from Katie. 

She went and made a difference in children's lives.

" I learned that I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, change the world for one person. So I keep loving one person at a time. Because this is my call as a follower of Jesus."

- Katie Davis

So be willing to be used by God. You can't change the world. But you can change someone's life.

Just be willing to step out of your comfort zone and God will guide you where He wants you to go.

Deeply Loved

You are deeply loved.

How deep is God's love for me? For you? 

It's hard to really understand. So here are some verses to help us understand God's amazing love for us.

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1 John 4:8 says, " The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love."

God is love.

Jeremiah 31:3 , "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

His love is eternal... everlasting.

1 John 3:1," See how great a love the Father has."

God's love is great.

Some other good ones are John 3:16, Proverbs 3:12, John 10:17 and so many others!!

Pray that you would know how deep God's love is for you.

And always remember that you are deeply loved.

Honesty

"Honesty is the best policy."

You have probably heard this quote a million times... have you ever really thought about it?

Up to now I don't think I have really.

Telling the truth and being honest is SO hard at times. Trust me... I know.

Ephesians 4:15 says, " But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ."

When you tell the truth tell it in love... example:

You finish your dance, you mess up several times, you ask your friends how you did:

Friend 1 : " You were awful! You messed up so many times. You are not good at dancing."

Friend 2 : " You did mess up, but you were brave enough to do the dance. And you keep going, keep practicing... then you can get better."

Both remarks were true. The first was true, but it pulled you down. The second was true, and it encouraged you. Speak in love.

Speak the truth in love. 

Describing a Moment : A Spring Morning

 

The sun's rays stretch across the grass as the birds peck at the ground in their search for food. The sun hits the dogwood tree in such a way that it looks as if it glows. All the birds gather together  and set soar into the sky for their flight. The wet dew on the grass looks as if it were diamonds, sparkling in the sunlight.

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Romans 1:20 says,

" For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made."

Describing a Moment : If You're Still

If you're quiet, if you're still... you can hear the sounds of nature past the sounds of this busy world we call home. You can hear the birds call out to each other. You can hear the crickets speak out into the night. You can hear the faint sound of raindrops.

If you look, if you're still...you can see the wonders of God's beautiful creations. Clouds moving across the sky. Birds flying about in the evening sky. Flowers swaying in the wind.

Be still, just for a moment, take it all in.

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Sometimes in our busy lives we forget to just be still, to look around us, to really listen and look at  God's creations. So sometimes instead of my regular blog posts then I'm going to post something I've written describing nature.

Hope you liked it!

First Glance

God loves you. You have probably heard this many times. But do you understand how much God loves you? Even I don't fully understand; it's too much for our human brains to comprehend. It's so great and powerful, but we can try to understand just a little of His love.

John  3:16 says, "For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life."  At first glance this may not seem like much, but it is. It's more than we could ever grasp. I could never cover the power and riches of God's love in one blog post, but maybe I can help you understand just a little bit of His abounding love. A second of God's love is more than anyone could ever love you in a lifetime.

Lets break up John 3:16 to help us understand it better. First it says "God loved the world". The One and Only, perfect,caring and merciful God loves our sinful, imperfect, selfish, evil world. God, perfect and loving, loves me, a sinner, not deserving a split second of His love. God loves you, He loves everyone in our sinful world. Second, "He gave His One and Only Son". He gave His Son to die the worst death you could ever imagine, dying on a cross. Dying on a cross was a sentence of death that the Romans only used on the worst of sinners. Jesus was (and is) perfect, yet He died that death because He loves us. And last, "everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life". So we can have a way to heaven. That's incredible. Jesus is the only way to heaven (John 14:6). You can't get to heaven by good works, you can only get to heaven through Jesus Christ. We don't deserve to go to heaven, but because God loves us there is a way. Jesus is the way.

So always remember, God loves you no matter what. His love is as deep as the oceans and deeper still. God loves you more than you could ever imagine.

Welcome

My blog's name is One Name. I named it One Name because there is one name above all else, Jesus. This blog is going to be centered around Jesus. I have a passion for Him and I want to make His name known.

I love to write, I have loved to write since I was eight. Writing is my passion. I love writing blog posts, poems, songs, and describing things (mostly nature).

One of my favorite Bible verses is Proverbs 31:30. It says, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised." What it means is that it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, but on the inside. Every moment of our lives should be for Christ, I want to completely live for Christ.

I'm going to post a blog every week. Every once in awhile, I'm going to post what I call Describing a Moment: Everyday Life. In that post I will describe a moment of nature. Sometimes in our busy, chaotic lives, we forget to just look around us at God's breathtaking creations.

This blog is for God's glory, and I hope every blog post will reflect Him.

Welcome to my blog!