3/6/15

Lead me to waters I’ve not dared to tread upon. Places my heart could not even dream of. Wash away what I have known before, burn the remnants of my tainted past, until all that remains is  clear unhindered, pure view of who You’ve called me to be. Until all I see is You. 

Take my future and shape it into something beautiful, speak words of hope,  joy and courage into my every day. Write the story of me in Your book of life never to be erased. 

Let my selfish flesh be silenced in Your presence, Your voice be all that I hear. I want to see the world through Your eyes! To touch those who others wont dare touch for fear of “dirtying” their perfect lives. I want to look at someone and see their pain and struggles instead of their sins and failures. Oh Lord take this pride from my soul! Let me not forget the pit that You rescued me from! 

I am so far beneath You God, yet You have chosen me. You’ve called me to live a life of purity. To love those no one else will. Don’t let me fall short! I can not do this without You! You give me breath! Nothing in this life satisfies, only You! 

Without Your love in this heart all I would see is a world dying with every passing day. But thank You God that I see beauty! I see a sunset or changing leaves, I hear a child’s laughter or a beautiful song. When I see, hear, touch, taste, and smell I experience this creation of Yours and long to know You more! To love the God who made all of this, I am so unworthy! 

Why Lord? Why me? Why did You choose this wretch? I don’t understand. But I am thankful! I don’t want to waste this life! To always be waited for “the next step”, but to live each moment seeking Your will. And having the courage to carry it out. 

I want nothing more than a life spent serving You, and nothing less than walking in blessed assurance of who I am. Your child. Your chosen. One who You love. Who You went to the cross for and banished my sins, never to be seen again! Tearing the vail of fear and death in two! 

“Let my life song sing to You, let my life song sing to You! I want to sign Your name, at the end of this day. Knowing that my heart was true! Let my life song sing to You!”

What Is Love

The word love is thrown around a lot. But what is it? If we ask the world around us, we get all kinds of answers. A popular idea today is that we as Christians are not loving, because we are not tolerant. We speak out against homosexuality, abortion, marital unfaithfulness, and other such things we believe to be wrong. And this makes us "unloving" in the worlds eyes. They call us hypocrites because we teach love and then we don't "love" all of mankind the way they think we should. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of hypocrites to go around.

But the people who are truly seeking and following The Lord know, we know that we are only saved through Jesus Christ! Not through our works, not because we are "good enough people", or because we are better than anyone else.

The world says we are unloving. But what they don't know is, they have the wrong idea of what love is. God is love. He so loved the world that He gave His only Son to be sacrificed so we could live! So we could have a one on one relationship with Him. So that we would have a love so  indescribable, so deep, so wide, so unending, nothing would ever compare!

When a true Christian says something is wrong, because the bible says it's wrong, we are not spreading hate. Actually we are spreading love. When it's done in the right way of course. Not by getting up on our soap boxes and telling people they're going to hell! But God designed a world to work in a perfect way, to bring glory to Him. He designed us to be in His presence. Before someone is saved, they are against God. There is a God shaped hole in them. Even if they don't know it.

When we witness to someone, our motive needs to be love! When we look at the sin of the world, it should sadden us, and motivate us! Our love for someone should make us desperate to see them made alive! To see them filled with the joy of following Christ!

I don't hate people. I hate sin. I hate the way it separates people from God. I love people so much that I want them to live forever! I want to see them in heaven! God is love. Plain and simple. So when we lead someone to Him, we practice love in it's purest form!

Some say I'm intolerant. That's true. I'm intolerant of sin. I'm intolerant of all things that go against the word of God. Because I know what it does to people, how it rips apart they're souls.

So yes. I will defend the name of God! I will stand up for His word! I won't except something if it's wrong! But don't call me a hater. You just don't know what love is. But I desperately want you to find out!

Love and Blessings
Rachel~ 

Softly Raining

Rain softly falls from the dark clouds above. It's thinking weather today. And as I meditate on life my mind is quickly and surely brought to my savior. And how could it not be? He is the source of my life after all. My breath is from His lungs, He knit me together, His hand is always holding me, keeping me from harm. What would I be without Him? I shutter at the thought. He died for me even in my deep sin.

How can we measure His love? Could we say it is as tall as a mountain? No, its heights far out do even the tallest of mountains. Could we say it is deeper than the ocean? No, its depths are far too deep to compare to a mere ocean. The truth is we could never begin to comprehend how deep, how wide, how pure, how sweet, and how amazing His love is.

Sometimes when ponder this, the fact the Creator of the universe, the Author of life, the One whom everything finds its beginning, yes He, left His place to come and be my Savior. He shed His blood so I could be called Daughter. My mind can scarce begin to fathom it.


Each day my deepest desire is to bring Him glory. To grow closer and closer to the woman He's called me to be. And for my passion for His presence to increase with every breath.

So as the drops fall outside my widow I will thank Him for washing my sins as those drops wash the earth. And He pours His spirit on me as rain from heaven, replenishing my soul.

Fill me up God, fill me up, to the point of overflow. So that I may pour out onto a world in need of You.

In Him,
Rachel <3>

My Desire~

To worship You because You're You. That is my desire. Not for the blessings You give. Not for what I can get out of it. But simply because You are God, The great I Am. Because even when You hold the entire world in the palm of Your hand, You love me deeper than I've ever known.

There is nowhere I look that I don't see Your finger prints. The work of Your hands is in every part of the universe! There in nothing Your eye's do not see.

Your wisdom no man can fathom. No being in heaven or on earth can compare to who You are!

The layers of Your love are never ending. The heights it travels immeasurable. As if loving a wretch like me were not enough, You went deeper and sent Your son to take my place in death and suffering. To carry not only my sins, but the sins of the earth! And You went further still, giving us Your spirit. Giving me power over sin, over temptation, over Satan, through Your name.

Demons shriek and hide at the mention of the name of Jesus Christ! Death has no power over Your children. You have set us free by Your blood. You have torn the veil in two, nothing separates us from You!

Why would I go anywhere else when You are all that makes sense? When I am pulled in so many directions, when the enemy whispers lies so enticing in my ear. You are my safe haven! You are where I land.

And so I lift my hands, I lift my life to the only One who satisfies my soul. Do with me what You will. Use my life for Your glory. For Your kingdom. Let every breath I breathe speak of Your mercy, Your grace, and of who You are!

From the smallest grain of sand to the tallest mountain, all of creation sings of Your glory! My souls desire is to join the chorus with every word I speak! That those who I meet would know You are my king. And that I am a child of the Most High God! And He loves me <3 font="" nbsp="">




~In Him~
Rachel 

Chains

Heavy. Harder than stone. They pull,weighing me down, scaring with every move. It's seems as though they will always win. Always be the victor. Trapped in them for all of my days, that's what I see.

But all at once I hear sound, see a light. My savior has come! By the power of His blood, the chains break, fall to the ground like dust. I am free! I rise , the door stands in front of me. I step toward it but the enemy creeps close behind, reminding me of what I was, of the sin that lived in my heart. I pick up the chains and place them on me once again. How did this happen again? Why must I where these chains all day and all night? Moment after moment?

I cry out and ask "why must I stay in the dark my Lord"? My savior speaks, His voice the sweetest sound my soul has ever heard, "my child, I died for ALL of your sins, you are clean, rise and walk out into the light"

I do as he's says, I rise and see again the chains are gone! But this time I walk, closer with every step taken in faith. I see the door, the lock has been broken all along! Out of the cell of sin an death I walk.

As I step into the light my eyes are opened. All along I could have been free. All along I could have walk in praise, beauty and love. I could have lived. Freed by the blood.

If only I had left them on the ground, rotting in the place where they belong. 

But now I know. Never again will I go back, to that place of certain death and condemnation. Never again will I put them on. My chains are gone~

My goal for this poem was to remind us as Christians that our chains ARE gone, and we don't have to put them on ever again! I pray this blesses you in some way. It's based on a word that a girl at my had for the congregation. It inspired me :) 

~Walk By Faith~
Rachel

This Place

Broken again I come to this place. Tattered and torn, I fall to my knee's. Unfix able, I'm sure this time. This time I'll be sent away, He wont let me in this place. Not with all this filth, not the rags I have become. He'll see my face and turn away for sure this time. No, He could not possibly love me after what I've done, never. For I have sinned, though I thought I was perfect, as I often do, I fell, face down in an unclimbable pit. No this place is surly not where I belong. This place is for those who are better, who sin less, who do more of the things they should. Yes this time I must leave this place.

But wait! What did He say? Did He call me? Ask me to sit at His feet? Surely You Almighty God, could not be speaking of me! Didn't you see what I did? How I disregarded Your word. No this place is not for me.  I've come to many a time, and you've washed me clean, taken my sin. But not this time. No I must leave this place.

But there again I hear my name. Did you call me Lord? Me? It truly is you Lord! You profess Your love for me now, in this place. I fall on my knee's, for I am too weak to stand. I fall into your arms, You hold me close. Why did I stay away so long from this place? 

For it's here I am complete! Reminded that yes this place is made for those that are clean, those who have been set free. And again I see, this place IS made for me! For by the grace only found at the cross, in the blood of Your Son, I am clean! I have been set free! And I don't have to be afraid to come to this place.

This place is the only place I find peace, hope, forgiveness. It's given freely, for those who seek it. They will find it, here in this place.

Now that I have come to this place, I never want to leave, never! This place is where I find my identity, my purpose, my strength, my heart. It's all here, in His presence, in His arms. Love that lasts forever, that can get anyone through every dark night, every lonely season, every trial, every pain, every rejection, every wound, and every scare. This place is beautiful, this place is pure. I keep coming back to this place.

And He keeps calling me no matter how far I turn in the wrong direction, or how many steps I take on the wrong path. He welcomes me back with open arms. I confess and repent of the sin that holds me down. And He lovingly breaks me until nothing else makes sense but Him. 

In this place I'm with Him. He is with me. I am loved beyond compare. That is why I love, This place.

~In His Arms~

Rachel

The Single Years

Some may see them as a waiting period, the single years. I myself have viewed them in this light. But the Lord has been changing my perspective. Teaching me to see them as not a time to and wait, but a time to move! It's hard sometimes to view them as a blessing, as a fruitful season. When many of us, me included, desire so much to get married, to have children. To be a wife and a mother.

But when we take the time to see them for what they really are, a blessing possibilities begin to come forth! If we chose to view them that way, we would see that it's Gods plan for to us to have a time to completely focused on Him.

When we say "I do" we become part of the person in front of us. Our time no longer belongs only to us. We become committed to a two part relationship, with the person God has given us. Then if the Lord chooses to bless us, we have children, and our time runs even more thin. And before we know it we're raising a family, and busier than ever!

So how beautiful would it be if we used this time to Him, to do His work!

In our culture it is so common to view the teenage and 20 something years as party time. Young people go from person to person trying to fill the lonely gap inside of them. And we as Christians tend to feel as though we are "okay" because we're not sleeping around, some of us not even dating. And we leave it at that.

But we're missing the point! Since we are young we have more energy, more time. So why are those things being waisted? Why are we sitting around waiting for our lives to start, when God is saying the time is now!

So let's use this time not to wait, but to be dedicated to the Lords work! Let Him use us to advance His kingdom!

He has already chosen who we will marry, how many children we will have , where we will live, and everything else about our futures!

So don't worry, He's got you covered ;) Use this time to draw closer to Him , to know the depth of love He has for you!

I'm really just saying these things to myself, but if you get something out of it then I'm glad ;) Thanks for stopping by :D

~Is His Love~
Rachel

Always~

I have not yet grasped this word. Always. He is always here. Always Lord? You're always here? Not when I'm stupid and fall into the same sin I already told you wouldn't do again. Not when I settle for "drive through" prayers rather then getting into my prayer closet. You cant be, no one loves that much.


Not when I was one who drove those nails into your wrist's. But you tell me You do, how can this be? How can my King and Lord, be my Comforter and my Peace? How? How, why, do You always stay here? With me and let me slap You in the face? A question I'm sure I will never know the answer to until I am with Him.


If this is true, then why do I constantly give in to satins lies? Why would I ever feel alone? I know that it is because of my flesh that I do this. The reason I think He hates me, the reason I let go. When will I finally understand that it's not me holding Him, but it's Him holding me? When will I get over my self and let Him in fully? Why do I hold back? Why do I build walls? When I know that as soon as I let them fall, He was there the whole time. Always.


He has never left me, never. He always loves me. Oh what a God we serve! What a King He is! Of course He's always here! He is perfect after all! Never leaving or forsaking us. Always holding us, comforting us.


Alone. This is the word I should not grasp. Because it is impossible for me to be alone. He is always here friends. Always.


So no matter what you are going through right now, wherever you are, He is there! You are NEVER alone! So don't be afraid, don't let satin get any part of you! Realize that no matter what happens, there is always some one who loves you. And no brokenness, no pain, no depression, no sin, NOTHING can change that.


Go before your Daddy right now, let Him wash away ever blemish, every stain, every crack, ever tare. Let Him  wipe every tear from your eyes. Peace does exist! I've felt it. And I have let it go too. And I never want to again! I always want to remember that He's right here. Always.


And I know I will fail. Like so many other times before. But by perfect grace, somehow, He will always bring me back! and that, friends is truly something to celebrate!!!


Always. Let that word seep in, through the stress, pain, and hurt. Right now let Him in, because when you do it's the best feeling you will ever have.


Thanks for stopping by, come again!


The end :)


~Wrapped in His arms~
Rachel

Stand up~

The kingdom of God should be made up of people who are willing to stand up for it! Not people who back down every time the battle gets going!


We all get so caught up in our comfort zones that we cant see that we are living in a dying world and we have got to take action to stop the people in this world from dying with it. I am so often guilty of this, there always seems to be someone else to do it, someone else to change the world.


This war gets more and more fierce everyday! We already know who's going to win this war. The question is how many battles will we win? How many soldiers will be led into victory?


The world today has made Jesus out to be a peace loving, just get along with everyone, hippie (for lack of a better word). But there was a different side of Him you don't hear about to much. The side that turned tables over and drove people out of His fathers house with a whip. He said He came not to bring peace but war.


If we are truly striving to be like Him, we need to recognise the growing darkness around us! We need to be aware of the need to be warriors in His army!


We need to arm ourselves daily with the armor of God. We need to daily ask The King of Kings to enter into us and fight for us. Because apart from Him we are nothing.


Take a moment to think about what your life would be without you Savior. Nothing. Our identity should be found in nothing else but Him alone!


And the people in this world need to know that that's what they are missing. That's the void in their life.


We as Christians fight daily battles. And we need to admit our brokenness, because in weakness His power is seen. Through dependency on Christ the lost in this world see something different, something they need!


So will you stand up? Will you fight the battles? Will you be a soldier in His kingdom? Lets make this generation one that future ones will look back on and say "they always turned back to The Lord, they never stopped fighting"


I must decrease so that He can increase~


I pray that someone gets something from my writing, because that's why i write. To bring glory to Him. I hope to get better in the future. Thank you to all of you who actually take the time to read my humble mushiness, I really appreciate it :)




Here's a song that goes along with it 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyVFxPSGljg


~Living By Grace~
Rachel

Humility

The Lord has been teaching me a lot about this lately. As I dig deeper into myself, I find that I am a prideful person. And way to judgemental. The concept that one sin is just as bad as the other, really gets me.

The consequences are more severe on earth for worse crimes, like steeling, rape, murder etc. But if God commanded us not to do something and we do it, even the sins that seem so small to us, hurt our heavenly Father.

Several times I have been in my little prayer corner feeling all good about myself and then I say, "God show me if something in me needs to be fixed" thinking I have it down pretty good, then, He does show me. He brings tears to my eyes and I repent once again.

He constantly leads me strait back to the cross. And brings a deeper layer of His love to me. As I realize I am just like the next sinner. I was lost, I was dirty, but He called me. And I still trip, stumble, and fall.

You don't become perfect when you become saved. You become His child, still human, still imperfect. But redeemed. Saved means when you sin you realize it, come to Him, lay it at His feet, and be constantly cleansed by His blood.

Jesus gave His life for everyone. "Whosoever shall believe in Him". He did it for the drunkard, the rapist, the thief, the prostitute,the homosexual, the murderer, AND the liar, the angry, the depressed, impure at heart. He died for me, He died for you, He died for all.

People are not the enemy, satin is. We need to share the love and words of freedom to everyone. And not be judgemental. It is Gods job to judge and ours to witness. We are called to spread the Gospel through the whole earth! Its not easy to do when we cant admit that we are not perfect.

But His beautiful grace has saved me! And I am redeemed! Jesus came and died for my sins so I don't have to be perfect. I have to trust in His name! And He will lead me!

So I pray someone gets somthing out of this. I just really felt like I had to write it. Thanks for listening!

~Out Of His Great Love~
Rachel

His Presance

His presence is truly something to cherished. When I am in His presence I am lost to the world around me. He has my full attention. Just sitting at His feet, oh friends how I adore that place. Though I don't go there enough.

But when I finally give in to the call on my heart to come and sit with Him, its indescribable. The sheer power, yet peace. I cant begin to explain it. Sometimes I make it so complicated. When all He wants is for me to feel His love, His presence.

He will never leave me or forsake me. No matter how much I turn away, He is right there.

I want my everything, my core to desire Him. I am a broken, battered torn person. I'm rags, He is riches. Its only by His grace that I am changed for life.

So many times my life gets in way of being with Him. But I am learning. He's teaching me.

Why did He die for my sin? Why did He let His life be torn away from Him so I can live? That kind of love, I don't know if I will every comprehend it. Ever understand it. His love is so deep, deeper than anything we can imagine.

That love that He has for me, means that He has written the story of my life. He has a purpose for me. Every word of this story is His plan.

Peace. That's what I feel.

Thanks for listening.

~Out Of His Great Love~

Rachel

Your Love Is New With Each Morning

He has brought me through a place of brokenness I didn't know was there. I cant even explain how I felt. I had mono but I was hurting spiritually through that. But through lots of prayer from me and others I love. I now have a new found love for Him better than before.

Both of my grandfathers had meager surgery in the past month also. And I think the emotional and spiritual strain took its tole.

But all through it The LORD was right there, ready to catch me when I fell. No matter how much satin was kicking me when I was down. I think every time I go through a trial, I love God even more. He is so much more than I can even imagine.

He gives me strength through trials. His love seeps through me every morning. In the morning that's how I feel. His love is new for me with every breath I take.

Fear is always there to temp you, but He is always there too. And He is stronger than any fear.
I have learned to rely on the LORD through everything.

Also I have been learning that this is not our home. We cant put our strength and hope in this world and what happens here. We will only be let down. We are put here to live this life that He has planned, and we have to trust in Him.

The ONLY way I can get through trials is through Him.

I am dirty, He is perfect.

So I would just like to encourage each of you to cling to Him in everything. Trials, hurt, pain, wounds, scars, joy, peace, happiness,and love.

This song really sums up this post. ~Blessings~ By Laura Story
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSVqHcdhXQ

Thanks for listening <3

~Greatly Blessed~

Rachel

My 50th post

Lately I have been thinking a lot about who I am. I know weird ;) But anyway, more specifically what kind of CHRISTian I am. Ive realized that I hide behind labels sometimes. "Stay-at-home-daughter" being the most common. I have been reading a blog that has been speaking about this. And even though I don't agree with everything she was saying. She brought up some points.

I cant use a title to live by. I want to be a CHRIST follower! I can only guess what people think when they see me, "Oh shes one of the skirt wearing CHRISTians" Oh a Stay-at-home-daughter". And those things don't bother me. What bothers me is when I don't strive to serve and challenge myself in my walk because of those labels. When I am content to just be known as those things.

I guess what I am trying to say is, I don't want to be known as a stay-at-home-daughter, I want to be known as a servant, as some one who doesn't focus on the worlds view of CHRISTians, but on The LORDs view of one.

I need not focus on what other CHRISTians me want me to be, but what His word says. That's what matters! You can "look" like the best CHRISTian in the world and still not be following God to the best of your ability.

Its so easy to fall into legalism also. But if your heart is not right. You will go nowhere! Jesus is THE way THE truth and THE light, and nobody, no matter how "good" a CHRISTian, can get anywhere unless they're heart is focused solely on Him!

So we can not hide behind labels. We must find ourselves only in Christ!

Thanks for listening! ;)

~CHRIST follower~
Rachel

Thankfullness~

I have been reading a lot about this. A few of the blogs I read have had posts about this in the past few days. With thanks giving fast approaching, I think its very important! I got this idea from my friends blog. To write 1,000 things thank I am thankful for. I started it today. Whenever I start to count my blessings its easy for the first few, then it seems to be harder. Why? Why is it hard to find things to be thankful for?

I have been going through some frustration lately. I have been physically unwell, and no one seems to be able to figure out whats wrong with me. I'm emotionally and spiritually drained it seems. But today I have made the decision to find the things in my life that are worth fighting for. That I'm thankful for. To pick up my cross every day and carry it. To never forget what my LORD did for me!

I will never let satin steel my joy and peace! That has been the hardest thing. Finding peace in this time when I don't know. I'm kind of a control freak. Not to the extent of a lot of people. But I don't like not being in control. That's something I have to let go of.

We are supposed to praise Him in the good times and the bad times. There is ALWAYS something to be thankful for! No matter what is happening!

Pain and sorrow, last for today. But joy and love will reign tomorrow!

So where ever you are, whatever you are doing. Stop and look around you and find things to be thankful for. Dig deep and find the things you don't usually think of.

Thank you LORD for everything!

~Greatly Blessed~

Rachel <3

We Will NOT Compramise!

You hear it all the time, "cant we all just get along?", "cant we live in peace with each other?". The answer is no, sorry, but its not Gods will for us to just "live in peace". I'm not saying go start a war. But come on Christians! We are in a spiritual war here!

Why is the church, and individuals, so willing to compromise with the world? Why are people of other religions so willing to proclaim domination, but we are not? Muslims are the worst. They take a different approach to getting converts. Convert or die! Ofcourse there are not many here who go to those lengths, but their out there! And with this knowledge, how is it that we as Christians are the ones doing everything the world does. Saying "the way we get them is to do what they do". What? That is not what the word says we are to do!

We are to be an example for the world, set apart! We need to offer something different. Not say "see we are cool too!" I get so annoyed when people say things like that! Other religions don't back down! Atheists don't back down why are we?

Compromise is something we as Christan's should not do. Plain and simple. If we are always compromising how is our life style better? Different? Its not!

So that's just something that was stirring in me today. Thanks for listening!

~Greatly Blessed~
Rachel <3

I Let Go

Lord, I let go. Of my hopes, my dreams, my desires. My everything. I give you control, take all of me. Use me for your kingdom building. Help me to get over my insecurity's, to be able to be the witness, the woman, you want me to be. To be able to put everything else aside.

Strip me down, to the core. Teach me the things You want me to know. I don't want to treat You like a religion. You are my Savior, my Friend, my Everything.

Don't let me fall into what everyone else wants. What the worlds idea of a "Christian" is. The only thing that I desire is to please you. To soak in everything you are. Not to fit You in. To fit everything else in my life around You.

Help me to see Your will and not my own. Help me to follow the story You have written. When people see me I want them to see You. Not the broken down old thing that I am. Apart from You I am nothing, I have nothing, I will be nothing.

But through Your love, Your great sacrifice. I am healed, set free, changed. And I comit my daily life. I take up my cross, I live to serve You.

Not to be a good Christian girl. But to be wholly and completely sold out, for the work of the Lamb.

~Greatly Blessed~
Rachel

In His Arms

Where do I see beauty?


Where do I find peace?


Where do I find worth?


Where do I rest?


Where do I sing for joy?


Where does my joy abound?


Where do I find my identity?


Where is my everlasting life?


Where do I find a cause to fight for?


Where is the beginning and the end?


Where is my life?


Where is love everlasting?


Where do I put my trust?


Where is purity?


Where can the hurting find healing?


Where is hope for the hopeless?


Where does my all in all stand?


In His Arms <3

~Greatly Blessed~

Right Kind Of Purity!

This seems to be such a touchy subject. But I believe the world looks at it the wrong way. It is not supposed to be a restriction, though you do have to have self control. But when you truly look at purity, it is a freedom, a freedom to put your faith in Christ that He will show you your perfect match. Purity in its true sense is not to be as close to the ways of the world as you can be but still have a "pure" body. Purity is rejoicing that God is in control so we don't have the pressures that those of the world have, trying to make ourselves physically appealing to the opposite gender, and always looking for a boy friend. Personally I rejoice in my purity every day! Because it means that one day I can give myself, my whole self to my husband! When we are pure it bring joy to our Savior. Now I don't know about you, but I like bringing joy to my Savior ;) He says right in His word that He wants us to be pure! Pure for Him!

Now I believe that modesty ties into this too. And again, touchy subject. But I think that modesty should be an outward appearance of the joy of purity. Dressing modestly does not mean you have to dress in a sack that covers you from head to toe! Dressing modestly also blesses Our Savior! And more than that even, when you make the choice to dress in a modest way, you are helping your brothers in Christ! Christian young men say it all the time, they convey their daily struggles with lust and temptation. And they are over joyed that there are young women that care enough about them to cover themselves to reduce temptation and lust! So dressing modestly is not only a help and statement to your purity, its helping out the guys too!

I think purity is presented in an offencive way so much that girls seem to think that its like being in bondage. Not being able to look cute in some shorty shorts, not being able "be with" their boy friends or others. I think if it was presented correctly, if people were told, that purity is a freedom we have as Christians, and explained as something beautiful, maybe peoples opinion would change.

My experience with purity has been wonderful, and such a blessing. This is the right kind of purity, rejoicing that you are a new creation!

Thanks for stopping by ;)

~Living By His Grace~
Rachel

Future

Where will I be, in ten years? Married, kids? I don't know. And that's hard for me, not knowing, each and every chapter of my life. All I know is the chapter I'm in right now. Sometimes sweet, sometimes boring, and sometimes down right hard!

Sometimes I think I should have been born in a different time. Just because of my ideas and things, among "young people" in this time, I'm strange. When I first entered into the teen years, I had no idea the changes the Lord had in store for me, not just in the world around me but in me. I've learned so much in the past few years, about myself, my family, and The Lord.

Purity was just something my parents talked about, never really important to me. That changed. I went from trying to fit in with all the "cool" people to not really caring what they thought. I was me, but more than that I was pursuing a deep relationship with The Lord. I struggled to find Friends. But they all just seemed to go a way I did not want to go. Casual dating, immodesty, and clicks. Oy the the clicks! I considered my sister and brother to be my best Friends, I still do. But I'm a talker and wanted to have all these Friends around me. That changed too, I began to get closer to the Lord, and through that began to see people differently, and as time went on the Lord blessed me with a few good Friends. And its funny because most of them live far from me and I cant see them but I still love them so much and thank God for them! Now back to the purity thing, I started to view it differently too. The Lord pressed on my heart to begin to really look at that the importance of purity. What it meant, for my relationship with Him and even my future marriage. I was pure in the flesh, but I just hadn't made that commitment in my soul yet. But as time went on I learned that that was my desire, to save myself completely for my husband. To have a have pure courtship and marriage.

Another thing I learned about myself was my love for writing. Several people said things about a gift in writing they saw in me. So I stared a blog (obviously). I found comfort in writing down my feeling, beliefs, and idea's. And people would say that they loved my blog. One woman we know now addresses my mom as "mother of the writer" lol.

Anyway all that to say, I'm not where I thought I would be a few years ago. But I'm so glad I'm here. So I don't know where I will be in ten years. But this I do know, it will be where He wants me to be. And that's fine with me :) Even if I do have a hard time giving my future to Him.

~Living In Grace~
Rachel

Contentment

Today I had a wonderful day. Today I woke up, spent over a half hour with the Lord praying and reading The word. Took a shower. Went outside and read a lovely book and had some yummy strawberry lemonade and laid in the grass looking up at the beautiful sky:). Right then and there I had contentment. I felt The Lord telling me, you are here right now for a reason. I have placed you in this family (the same family I loose my patience with so often) in this time, in this place, for my perfect will in your life. Right then I realized that I live for tomorrow way to much. I'm to often looking forward to whats happening next, what event I'm attending, who I'm gonna see, and where I'm gonna go. As I was watching a segment in a show the other day on menopause (don't ask) and they were talking about the effects emotionally and fiscally, it dawned on me, I cant always be looking forward to the next thing, especially this summer, it is literally the busiest summer I can remember! Seems like we are always going somewhere! So now more then ever I feel the need to try and enjoy every moment, every memorie, every little baby kiss, every smile, every kind word, every laugh, every Friend, every prayer, every song, every blessing I have in my life. For they are completely uncountable. I am blessed beyond compare. I don't have to worry about my future. I have such peace in my life. And I know it cant stay like this forever, someday, when its the Lords will, I will marry my prince, have children, and move on from this life, I will start my own family and make all new memories. I cant relive these times, I cant go back. This is such a special time. Having my family so close. I have dreams, of exiting things, and some, of peaceful things. But some times lying in the grass looking up at the glorious creation that is the sky, drinking strawberry lemonade, reading a good, and thanking The Lord for this time in my life, can be a beautiful dream <3

So look around you today and saver what you have, thank Him for this time in your life.

~Living In Grace~
Rachel