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